At age 28, Kelechi Iheanacho is “in his peak years” and can be a “great signing” for Celtic, says manager Brendan Rodgers.
But the Nigeria striker arrives amid a maelstrom of supporter discontent at the Scottish champions and must overcome doubts over his fitness and form if he is to prove more than a last-gasp panic arrival.
His first task will be to get up to speed. Iheanacho has not played since May, a late substitute appearance in Nigeria’s 2-2 friendly draw with Jamaica.
He comes to Celtic after struggling at Sevilla, whom he joined last summer. Iheanacho failed to score in nine La Liga appearances – his three goals came against lower-league opposition in the Copa Del Rey – and was sent on loan in January to Middlesbrough, netting once in 15 outings.
He is undoubtedly a high-calibre talent though. On the international stage, Iheanacho has netted 15 goals in 58 caps, including helping Nigeria to a runners-up finish in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
He was marked out for stardom at an early age. Nominated for the Fifa Golden Boy award in 2016 at age 16, Iheanacho made his Manchester City debut at 18 and went on to score 21 goals in 64 games before a £25m move to Leicester City in 2017.
He came under current Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers’ tutelage at the Foxes two years later, and the FA Cup-winning campaign of 2020-21 was the most productive of the striker’s career, yielding 19 goals. In all, his Leicester haul of 61 goals – plus 36 assists – in 232 matches is a decent record.
So can Rodgers coax productive form out of Iheanacho again? The trouble is his move comes amid a backdrop of fan fury at Celtic’s chaotic summer transfer window, where they sold Adam Idah to Swansea – leaving them further short up front after Kyogo Furuhashi’s January exit – then failed to bring in a striker before the deadline.
The solution was Iheanacho, a free agent after his Sevilla contract was terminated. The striker – and Celtic – have much to prove in the months ahead.
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