Man City can buy Kelechi Iheanacho back for £50m
Leicester keen on agreement as it means they can double their money
Manchester: Manchester City have insisted on a £50 million (Dh242.9 million) buy-back option for Kelechi Iheanacho, as the striker closes in on his protracted £25 million move to Leicester.
Iheanacho had a medical at Leicester’s training ground Tuesday and is finally set to join them in the next 48 hours after the deal was held up by a row with his former agents over image rights.
As revealed by The Daily Telegraph last month, Leicester agreed a fee and terms nearly four weeks ago for the Nigeria international and have had to be patient while the impasse with his agents was resolved.
But with the striker now poised to become a Leicester player, it has emerged that Manchester City have struck an agreement which will see them given the first option to re-sign the 20-year-old if he proves a success at the King Power Stadium.
Iheanacho remains highly thought of at the Etihad Stadium after progressing through the club’s academy and City have inserted a clause to buy him back for £50 million.
Leicester were happy to agree, as they will double their money in the event of the forward proving a massive hit in the east Midlands.
It is understood that Leicester have secured Iheanacho’s signature ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Monaco, and the deal represents a huge coup for new manager Craig Shakespeare.
The striker could make his Leicester debut in Friday’s friendly against Borussia Moenchengladbach at the King Power Stadium. Shakespeare said this week: “I’m hoping he will be available for the game at Arsenal [on Friday August 11], but I am like every other manager. I think we all find it frustrating but it is the current market. “You saw with the Harry Maguire one, we got that done quick. When he is in the door, we can announce it. At the moment we are interested in players, as most of the Premier League is, but you can see that clubs won’t talk about it until they are over the line.”
