African footballers. Kelechi Iheanacho Rejects Leicester Deal. Super Eagles and Leicester City striker, Kelechi Promise Iheanacho, has turned down a new contract offer from the club amid interest from Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
The 27-year-old forward has had limited opportunities this season, with only ten league starts in the EFL Championship, as manager Enzo Maresca has preferred Zambian striker Patson Daka as the lead forward for the Foxes.
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Both Iheanacho and his teammate Wilfred Ndidi are nearing the end of their Leicester City contracts, which expire in June 2024. While Ndidi is eyeing a move to a top-six Premier League club, Iheanacho is not interested in extending his tenure at the King Power Stadium.
According to Football Insider, the highest-scoring African in FA Cup history was offered an improved deal with a weekly wage of £65,000, but he declined the offer. The primary reason for Iheanacho’s decision appears to be the lack of playing time. Football Fancast reports that Aston Villa is keen on bringing the 2021 FA Cup winner to Villa Park as a backup for Ollie Watkins.
Aston Villa has had a strong season under Unai Emery and is aiming for a spot in the UEFA Champions League next season. If Iheanacho joins Villa, he would have the opportunity to play alongside talents like Douglas Luiz, Leon Bailey, Ollie Watkins, and Moussa Diaby.
Villa sees Iheanacho as an experienced Premier League forward and a potential summer bargain who could significantly impact the team’s success next season.
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In his ten starts for Leicester this season, Iheanacho has scored five goals and provided one assist, averaging a goal involvement every two games. Leicester City has secured a return to the Premier League after being relegated on the final match day of the previous season.
More about Kelechi Iheanacho
Kelechi Promise Iheanacho (born 3 October 1996) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a striker for Leicester City and the Nigeria national team. Known for his scoring, vision, dribbling, speed, and finishing, he is nicknamed “Senior Man.”
Iheanacho started his senior career at Manchester City in the 2015–16 season, winning the Football League Cup. He moved to Leicester City in 2017 for £25 million, the highest fee for a Nigerian player at that time. He was crucial in Leicester’s 2020–21 FA Cup win, scoring four goals, and also scored the winner in the 2021 FA Community Shield.
Iheanacho represented Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, finishing as runner-up in 2023. He was named the Most Promising African Talent in 2013 and 2016, and was a substitute in the CAF Team of the Year in 2016.