London, Monday
The January transfer window brought with it hopes of a fresh start for players and clubs who had struggled to make their mark in the first half of the season.
A host of high profile names completed temporary moves as they sought to impress both their parent clubs and new employers ahead of potential summer moves.
But none of them had expected a global pandemic to block their path as they dusted down their boots and prepared to inject new life into their careers.
Odion Ighalo
There’s nothing worse than watching a Hollywood story unfold in front of your eyes and then being denied the ending.
Ighalo, a childhood United fan, completed a shock loan move to Old Trafford on deadline day having spent the previous two years playing his football in China.
Ighalo made it out of China and just before the country put in place a lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus, while the striker didn’t travel to United’s winter training camp in Spain in case he wasn’t allowed back in England.
With the coronavirus hurdle seemingly overcome, the striker has since scored four goals in eight games for his new club, including one of the goals of the season in Thursday’s 5-0 win over LASK in the first leg of their last 16 tie. His form has led to rumours United could make his move permanent in the summer, but his flying start has now been brought to an abrupt halt after Premier League games were postponed until April 3.
Danny Rose
Danny Rose smiled for the first time in months when he shook hands on a six-month loan deal at Newcastle on the final day of the January transfer window.
After starting the 2019 Champions League final, the departure of Mauricio Pochettino had seen him lose his place at Tottenham under Jose Mourinho.
With Euro 2020 on the horizon, as well as his 30th birthday, Rose decided enough was enough and instructed his agent to find him a new club.
Victor Moses
It’s not often that a player bags himself a loan move to a bigger club midway through the season but that’s what Victor Moses did when he secured a six-month loan move to Inter in January.
Moses had spent the first half of the season on loan from Chelsea at Fenerbahce but traded the Turkish club for a move to the title-chasing Serie A side.
The winger turned wing-back was reunited with former Blues boss Antonio Conte, under whom he’d enjoyed the best spell of his career between 2016 and 2018.
The move presented a very real chance of winning silverware and earning a permanent move to the Serie A giants.
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