Transfer Story
Recent reports have linked the out-of-favour Manchester City striker, Kelechi Iheanacho with a transfer move away to West Bromwich Albion. As per recent rumours, the Nigerian has been frustrated with his lack of game time at the Etihad with Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus being favoured ahead of the Nigerian.
Iheanacho is presently tied to his employers till 2021. Having 4 years left on his present contract, Man City would not want to offload the striker at a nominal price. The Nigerian is said to be valued at around £20m by the Citizens.
Pulis endured a frustrating season with the Baggies which saw his forward mostly misfire and squander chances in front of goal and is presently looking to re-galvanise his firing squad with new recruits. No doubt the Nigerian would be a key target for Pulis as the gaffer looks for a squad re-shuffle during the summer.
The 20-year-old Nigerian had gained prominence in the Pellegrini-era which saw the youngster get an impressive run of games, but he quickly fell out of favour with the newly appointed manager Pep Guardiola and had to spend most of the time on the bench for the majority of the 16-17 season.
Let us have a look at the stats of the youngster.
Kelechi Iheanacho – Player Stats
Standing at almost 6’2″, the Nigerian exudes sheer physical dominance in the opponent’s half and is tough to dismantle from the ball. His physical stature makes him lethal in set pieces and winning aerial duels in the opponent’s half.
- The Nigerian made 5 first team starts in his 20 appearances for the club in the Premier League.
- Although he got a short stint at the club this season, still, he has managed to score 4 goals and provide 3 assists for the team. It just goes to show the player’s desire and ruthlessness in front of the goal.
- The Sky Blues have only lost 5 of the 20 games in which the Nigerian youngster played, which goes to show the impact the youngster has on the team.
- The player is also well known for his finishing and long range shooting techniques.
- Iheanacho has also provided his team with 13 key passes along with maintaining a healthy pass success average of 77%. (whoscored)
The above stats do make for a commendable resume and leave no doubts to the true potential and capability to the youngster.
What’ll he bring to the Club?
The fact that Pulis’ forwards have only contributed a total of 11 goals(Rondon – 8, Robson-Kanu – 3, Leko – 0) in their season’s tally of 41 presents enough reason for Pulis to search for quality signings upfront and the Nigerian would be an ideal inclusion for the Baggies.
The Man City forward could provide West Brom with creativity, speed, strength and vision upfront, that they had been lacking for most of the season. Iheanacho is also good in the air which would provide the team with an extra advantage in aerial duels and set pieces. Also, the fact that he is tough to dismantle from the ball would make it easy for him to hold up play and create chances up front, which would be ideal to Pulis’ playing style as the gaffer favours playing with a lone striker up the field.
Worth the Money?
Being valued at £20m would mean the Baggies would have to break their transfer record in order to sign the player. Seeing the incredible stats that the young Nigerian presents, it would be safe to consider that the youngster is well worth the moolah. Well aware of his striking prowess, Pulis would want to include him in the squad. Although with many elite clubs lurking around vying for the youngster’s signature, Pulis has to be extra efficient if he has to lure him away from the Etihad.
Safe to say if the deal does happen, the West Brom fans would be more than excited to see Iheanacho at the Hawthorns next season.
