Just did a bit of googling after that comment about him not being a starter for his Chinese club and it looks like was a regular starter.
However, he's their second top scorer behind a 33 year-old midfielder and he's the main pen taker too it seems. I don't know the context behind everything but at first glance, doesn't seem very impressive.
He scored 10 in 17 in the league for Shanghai Shenhua, 4 pens and 6 goals. Missed 8 games to injury and missed another 5 because of the AFCON, in which he scored 5 (1 pen) in 7 games and was the top scorer of the tournament.
This 33yr old "midfielder" (Giovanni Moreno) was playing as a striker during Ighalo's absence, he scored 11 goals in 28 league appearances, 8 of his goals came whilst playing upfront.
Cedric Bakambu had pretty much the same stats in the league, 10 goals in 16 appearances & 3 goals in 4 appearances at the AFCON - He was playing for the 2nd best team in the league, whilst Shangai Shenhua finished 13th/16, and Bakambu nearly got a move to Barcelona. It really isn't that bad at all.