The Hot Seat: Time for Iheanacho to move on?

Goal Africa Features Writer Oluwaseye Omidiora was again under the spotlight in this week’s episode of The Hot Seat, as he was grilled on his latest analysis of Kelechi Iheanacho.

In a recent article published on Goal Africa, the Nigerian writer expressed his belief that—despite Leicester City’s failure to qualify for the Champions League—the Super Eagles striker should remain at the King Power Stadium.

Iheanacho is coming off the back of the best season of his career; he struck 12 times in the Premier League—a career-high—and also won the FA Cup with the Foxes.

Should Kelechi Iheanacho remain at Leicester City despite their failure to qualify for the Champions League or seek a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs?

— Goal Africa (@GoalAfrica) June 2, 2021

While the final, against Chelsea, ultimately passed him by as he struggled to get the better of Antonio Rudiger, the forward was influential as the East Midlanders reached their first final since 1969.

He scored a memorable double against Manchester United, and struck the winner against Southampton in the semi-final as the Foxes set up their showpiece bout with Chelsea.

His golden run in the competition established him as the all-time top African scorer in the history of the FA Cup, eclipsing Didier Drogba.

Similarly, no other player has scored more than Iheanacho in the cup since he made his debut in the competition with Manchester City.

With Jamie Vardy ageing and potentially coming to the end of the road with the Foxes—despite his fine goalscoring return in the top flight—the time may have come for the forward to finally take his mantle as Leicester’s leading man.

However, a case could be made that, at this stage of his career, Iheanacho needs to be testing himself in the Champions League.

Certainly, many of the Premier League’s top sides are in need of a clinical goalscorer; it’s been a problem position for Manchester United and Liverpool recently, while European champions Chelsea surely can’t head into another season with Timo Werner as their go-to frontman.

Manchester City are yet to recruit a replacement for Barcelona new boy Sergio Aguero, while Tottenham Hotspur may also be in the market should Harry Kane depart for pastures new.

Any of these clubs may realistically be tempted be a striker who is a proven quality in the Premier League and appears to have finally found his feet in English football.