Tag: Iheanacho

Akor Adams continued to underline his credentials as one of the strikers to be feared in the ongoing season in the French Ligue One after he scored a brace in Montpellier’s 3-0 away win at Lorient.

Adams in his debut season in France has now scored five goals from seven games after his two goals propelled the former league champions to the ninth spot with nine points from seven games.

The Nigerian who became the sought after hitman after he scored 15 goals from 15 games for Norwegian side, Lillestrom SK earlier this year notched the game’s curtain raiser in the 30th minute. Teji Savanier doubled the advantage in the 73rd minute before the Nigerian sealed the win with the third goal in the 89th minute.

He has scored against Le Havre (2), Lyon (1) and now Lorient (2) with the determination to score more to help Montpelier to the top half of the table.

Lorient who are 16th on the table with six points from seven games were without Super Eagles midfielder, Innocent Bonke who is currently injured.

In another tie in the French Ligue One, Nice were held to a goalless draw at home by Brest who moved to the second spot on the table because of the impressive away performance.

Read Also: Arsenal cruise to victory at Bournemouth

Nice had Terem Moffi in the game for 83 minutes before he was replaced by Evann Gaessand but he was unable to add to his  three goals so  far in seven games.

In Italy, Isaac Success and Udinese continued to search for their first win of the season following their 2-2 draw at home to Genoa in a Serie A tie.

Udinese had to come back twice from the brink of defeat before securing a point before their fans.

In England, Leicester City regained the leadership of the English Championship table after a 4-1 thrashing of Blackburn Rovers at the Ewood Park.

Wilfred Ndidi started the game and  provided the assist for the second goal which put the Foxes back in the ascendancy after Sammie Szmodis bagged the equaliser for Wout Faes’ fourth minute opener.

Kelechi Iheanacho was a second half substitute. He came on in the 76th  minute and scored Leicester City’s third goal from the penalty spot in the 82nd  minute.

Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho has answered speculation over his future by insisting he ‘loves’ the club and that his full concentration is on winning promotion back to the Premier League.

The Nigeria international was one of the players linked with a move away from the club in the summer transfer window. Premier League side Crystal Palace were credited with an interest in the final few days.

A move never materialised and Iheanacho remained at City. He has been a regular in the starting line-up under Enzo Maresca and scored his first Championship goal from the penalty spot against Norwich City last week.

The 26-year-old has been with City since joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2017. He has one year left on his current deal at the King Power Stadium, but has addressed the summer talk over his future.

Read Also: Chukwueze predicts coaching future for Ekong, Iheanacho

“These discussions are always difficult when you have less time left at the football club, probably a year or two. I know the speculation, the report or ‘you want to stay, you want to leave’, I know that,” he told BBC Radio Leicester’s When You’re Smiling Podcast. “Personally, I love Leicester City, it is a good place, a good football club. I’ve been here for a few years now and we went down, it’s not ideal, but we’re here now, fighting our way up.

“I’m here, concentrating on my football with Leicester City. Hopefully we can get back up and everyone will be happy, I didn’t get to move, I’m here now playing for Leicester City so we concentrate on that now.

“Hopefully all the players that didn’t get to move as well will all contribute to the team for us to get up there which is the most important thing now. Everyone has to make their choice, but we now concentrate on the team and try to help the team and stay together to get up there.”

Crystal Palace have reportedly stopped their chase of signing Leicester City and Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho.

The 26-year-old has been strongly linked with a summer move back to the Premier League, with reports revealed a few days ago that Crystal Palace have a genuine interest in making a move for the Nigerian forward.

It was also explained in the report that the Eagles’ move for Iheanacho will depend on the sale of Jean Phillipe Mateta to RB Leipzig, with the London club aiming to use the funds raised from the Frenchman’s exit to pursue Iheanacho’s deal.

Read Also: West Ham battle Palace, Nottingham for Iheanacho’s signature

Another report that came in yesterday revealed Palace are close to matching the £18m Leicester are asking from any potential suitor who has a concrete interest in signing in the Nigerian forward.

But in the latest update, Palace are set to keep Jean-Phillipe Mateta after netting a 22 minutes hat-trick away at Plymouth in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, as reported by Evening Standard.

The Eagles are ready to discuss a new contract for Mateta, who will see his current deal expire in 2026.

With Iheanacho’s current contract set to expire next summer, the Foxes might lose the former Manchester City forward on a free transfer at the end of the season if he fails to make a move from the club before the end of today

West Ham have joined Wolves, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest among the English Premiership teams that want to sign Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho before today’s transfer deadline, reports Ben Jacobs.

Writing on his personal Twitter account (31 August), the journalist reported that Leicester value the Nigeria international at close to £20m amid interest from Crystal Palace, Wolves and the Hammers.

David Moyes wants a new striker before Friday’s 11pm deadline and after a deal for Corinthians forward Alberto fell through, Iheanacho has emerged as a new target.

Read Also: N17.7 Billion tag  stalls Iheanacho move to Crystal Palace

“Leicester value Kelechi Iheanacho at close to £20m,” he wrote. “Enzo Maresca would rather keep the Nigerian striker, but there is Premier League interest from Crystal Palace.

“Wolves and West Ham have also looked.”

With time really ticking down on the transfer window and a striker clearly wanted at the London Stadium by David Moyes, this could be one that makes sense late on.

Tim Steidten has spent the last few days in Brazil looking at deals but they will all be complicated to do on such short notice, and it could be that the club go for something easier as the clock runs down.

Iheanacho has got plenty of Premier League experience and has a playing style that suits what Moyes likes to do, with great physical attributes and good technical quality too.

That £20m valuation isn’t mind-blowing and if a deal needs to be done then we know what it would take to do, as well as knowing the player would be able to hit the ground running as he has experience at this level.

Kelechi Iheanacho ‘s desire  to join London club Crystal  Palace is reportedly hanging in the balance with Leicester City pressing for a  £18m deal, that is about N17.7 million with a conservative estimate of about 983.9  Nigerian Naira to a British Pound Sterling.

Influential Daily Mail quoted  Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg as saying that  Palace were willing to pay between £10-15m with add-ons, but the Foxes, who were relegated last season  to the Championship, were stalling over the £18m price tag ‘even though striker is keen on the move’.

Earlier this week, Football Insider claimed Wolves have shortlisted Iheanacho as a potential striker signing ahead of the transfers deadline  .

This summer transfer window will close in England at 11pm on September 1(tomorrow), but Iheanacho’s   bid to return to the English Premier League action may not materialise soon unless  there is a rapprochement  between the Foxes (Leicester City) and The Eagles (Crystal Palace).

The former Manchester City star has less than 12 months to run on his contract and can negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign sides from January.

Read Also: Liverpool , Bayern join race for Ndidi’s signature

Scoring goals has long been a problem for Crystal Palace  and Iheanacho is seen as a  solution, as coach Roy Hodgson’s side have scored two goals in their opening three Premier League games; although they did fight back from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at Championship side Plymouth in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

The 26-year-old Iheanacho has played three times for the Championship side this season but has failed to score.

He has 56 goals in 210 appearances in all competitions in his seven seasons at the club since joining from City for £25million in 2017.

However, the move depends on if they sell Jean-Philippe Mateta to RB Leipzig.

The Bundesliga side are one of several German clubs to be interested in Mateta, who has generally acted as backup to Odsonne Edouard at Selhurst Park, with Borussia Dortmund also said to be keen on his signature.

Palace would need to raise funds by selling the Frenchman before being able to spend on Iheanacho or Southampton’s Che Adams, another striker from a relegated side who has been catching their eye.

Iheanacho is considered important to the Foxes’ bid to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.

However, with his contract set to expire next summer, Leicester are aware they may need to do a cut-price deal in this window to avoid losing him for nothing.

Wolves have queued  behind Crystal Palace and  Nottingham Forest among the teams that have shortlisted Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline, sources have told Football Insider.

Football Insider revealed last week that there is a real possibility of Iheanacho departing Leicester this summer despite his involvement early in the 2023-24 campaign.

The Nigerian has been on the radar of Palace and Nottingham in recent times and Wolves have identified him, as well as three other potential striker signings, as a realistic late-window target.

A well-placed source has told Football Insider that the Molineux club’s Midlands location could give them the edge in a potential race for Iheanacho’s signature.

Read Also; Manchester United rally from two goals down to beat 10-man forest

It is believed Wolves will have to persuade the Nigeria international to leave the King Power Stadium, where he is content – despite Leicester’s relegation to the Championship.

The ex-Man City star has less than 12 months to run on his contract and can negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign sides from January.

Iheanacho has managed one goal and two assists in five appearances totalling 293 minutes of action so far this season.

He notched just eight strikes and five assists across 35 appearances in the 2022-23 campaign as Leicester suffered relegation from the Premier League.

Just two seasons earlier, the forward managed a return of 19 goals and seven assists in 39 games as the Foxes lifted the FA Cup.

The 26-year-old cost Leicester a reported fee of £25m in 2017.