Sevilla have unveiled Nigeria Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho as the club’s new striker
The La Liga club announced the prolific forward has joined on a two-year deal with an option of a further year.
“He arrives as a free agent after spending last season at Leicester City. He signs on a two-year deal with an option of a further year,” the club statement reads.
Sevilla will be Iheanacho’s third career stop after his spell with Manchester City and Leicester City. The 54-cap Nigeria international and 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner is tipped to replace outgoing former Sevilla forward En-Nesyri, who was sold this summer to Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in Turkey.
Iheanacho spent seven seasons with Leicester City, making 232 appearances, and scoring 61 goals in all competitions. He was reportedly offered a new contract but chose to leave following a less-than-stellar run last season in which he managed 23 league appearances with 5 goals and one assist.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Kelechi Promise Iheanacho is a Nigerian professional football player, who played as a forward for Leicester City but is now set for a new chapter with Sevilla in La Liga.
Iheanacho began his career at Taye Academy in 2011, where he honed his footballing skills for three years. He was thrust to the limelight following his prolific run with Nigeria U-17s in the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in which he scored 7 goals to power the Golden Eaglets their fourth U-17s FIFA World Cup.
A year after the FIFA U-17 World Cup heroics, Iheanacho was poached by Manchester City scouts to the club’s Academy.
At the club’s Academy, Iheanacho proved his mettle and quickly rose through the ranks to break into the first team in 2015, just one year after playing in the Academy.
After impressing in the team’s pre-season campaign, he made his competitive debut for the club on August 10, 2015, featuring in City’s 3-0 Premier League win over West Brom in their first match of the season.
He would spend two seasons with the club, making 46 Premier League appearances and scoring 12 goals.
In 2017, he joined Leicester City on a five-year contract for £25m. At Leicester City, the 27-year-old has spent seven years, recording 173 Premier League appearances and scoring 35 goals.
International career
Iheanacho rose through the ranks in Nigeria’s youth system before making his senior national team debut. He played for Nigeria U-17s from 2013 to 2015, scoring 8 goals in 7 appearances. He also featured for Nigeria U-20s in 2015, making 2 appearances. He made his senior national team the same and has been capped 55 times, scoring 15 goals.
Career honors
Iheanacho won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He also won the EFL Cup with Manchester City in 2015-16 season. At Leicester City, he won the 2020-21 FA Cup, the 2021 Community Shield, and the 2023-24 EFL Championship.
Kelechi Iheanacho Sevilla contract
According to Fabrizio Romano, Iheanacho has signed a two-year contract with Sevilla till 2026. He joins the club as a free agent after leaving Leicester City this summer.
