Leicester City have announced the signing of Kelechi Iheanacho from Manchester City, on Thursday. It is believed that the Nigerian cost Leicester City £25 million.
The 20-year-old signed a five-year contract with the Foxes, calling time on his three-year career with City and finally completing a move that had been held up in part over the player’s image rights, with initial reports that a deal was close emerging at the beginning of July.
“It feels good and I’m happy to be part of this team,” Iheanacho told Leicester’s web site. “I know the ambition of the team and speaking with the manager, he let me know what I need to do — to help the team achieve what they want. I was convinced and I’m happy to be here.
Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare added: “It’s a great signing for us. Kelechi is an enormously talented player that has shown a huge amount of promise at every level in which he’s played.
“We’ve tracked his progress for some time, so we know how much quality he’ll bring to the squad. He’s young, he’s hungry, he’s ready for the next stage of his development and I’m delighted that will be with Leicester City.”
A Man City statement said: “Everyone at Manchester City wishes Kelechi all the best with his new challenge.”
The £25m fee makes him the most expensive Nigerian player ever, displacing Odion Ighalo when he signed for Chinese club Changchun Yatai for £20m in January.
He will wear the No. 8 shirt and join fellow Nigerians Ahmed Musa and Wilfred Ndidi at the King Power Stadium after scoring nine goals in 30 appearances across all competitions last season. In total he scored 21 goals in 64 games in all competitions since making his debut for City in 2015.
