The Leicester forward could look to depart following the club’s relegation to the Championship…
Everton are yet to really get going in the transfer market as manager Sean Dyche looks to build his team and veer away from the relegation threat that has plagued the club over the past two seasons, though Kelechi Iheanacho is now being targetting to bolster the ranks.
Who wants to sign Kelechi Iheanacho?
According to Football Transfers, the Nigerian forward is admired by the Toffees hierarchy and could be approached over the coming weeks to provide the misfiring frontline with some new firepower, but only in the event that prime target El Bilal Toure would reject the Goodison Park side.
Well, as it goes, the Almeria striker is reportedly closing in on a transfer to Atalanta to replace Rasmus Hojlund, who is being pursued by Manchester United, which paves the way for Iheanacho’s move to Merseyside.
The Foxes forward, aged 26, is expected to cost around £10m to be prised away from the King Power Stadium, and given Everton’s tough time in front of goal – the Blues only outscored Wolverhampton Wanderers last term – Iheanacho could be the answer.
How good is Kelechi Iheanacho?
Described as an “excellent” attacker by his former manager Brendan Rodgers, Iheanacho would significantly boost the Toffees’ frontal firepower.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a fine player, but alas finds the medical department his stomping ground all too often, while Neal Maupay yields one solitary goal one year on from his £15m move from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Iheanacho is not quite the household name certain segments of the Everton support may covet, but he is a dependable striker with a wealth of experience and a consistent goal-scoring record, having plundered 88 direct contributions from 206 matches for Leicester after arriving from Manchester City, where he scored 21 goals from 64 matches.
Having won the FA Cup with his current club and the League Cup with the Citizens, the 45-cap international also boasts the winning mentality that could be instilled across the Blues ranks, something in short supply after a miserable two years that have indeed threatened the preservation of the side’s top-flight status.
Iheanacho could emulate his compatriot Alex Iwobi with a move to Merseyside, the dynamic midfielder leaving Arsenal and penning a deal worth £34m in 2018, and thrive under Dyche’s wing as he forges a path to success.
Iwobi ranks among the top 14% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 15% for progressive carries and the top 14% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, and could meld very nicely with a player he knows well from international exploits with Nigeria.
Iheanacho, comparatively, ranks among the top 2% of forwards for assists, the top 13% for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, and having scored five goals from just 11 league starts last term as Leicester plummeted into the second tier, he could be the dynamic component missing from Dyche’s system.
With Arnaut Danjuma also signingLeicester plummeted into the second tier, he could be the dynamic component missing from Dyche’s system.ranks and ensure that the increments are made to navigate away from the instability that the club have been mired in of recent years.
