Premier League outfit Crystal Palace are lining up a move for Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho should Jean-Philippe Mateta leave Selhurst Park, according to the Evening Standard.
The French striker is subject of interest from the Bundesliga, with RB Leipzig reportedly having a €7 million bid rejected for the player. Borussia Dortmund are also said to be keen and it is claimed that the 26-year-old wishes to depart the club before the end of the transfer window next week. As a result, Palace are lining up replacements, with Iheanacho topping the list.
The former Manchester City striker is in the final year of his contract at the King Power Stadium and Leicester may decide to reluctantly cash in instead of running the risk of losing their man for free at the end of the season.
The Foxes have made an excellent start to their Championship campaign as they look to return to return to the top tier at the first time of asking. With three wins out of three, only Ipswich Town’s superior goal difference is keeping them off the top of the table and they have also set up an EFL Cup second round tie with Tranmere Rovers after a comfortable first round win over Burton Albion.
heanacho is seen as key to Leicester’s chances of promotion this season, although has yet to find the net in the league so far. However, his time in the East Midlands has proven to be fruitful, having scored 56 goals and provided 34 assists in 210 appearances since arriving in 2017.
The 26-year-old has now attracted the interest of former England boss Roy Hodgson, who is keen to bring the Nigerian international to the capital.
Writer’s View
It’s no surprise to see Iheanacho attract the interest of the Premier League, despite failing to hit the heights of his 2020/21 campaign over the last couple of years.
He is a player who is reaching the peak years of his career and Palace are clearly hoping they can take advantage of his dwindling contract should they lose Mateta. However, it may be in the Eagles interest to sanction a deal anyway as they need to recover the goals lost from the exit of Wilfried Zaha. Mateta is hardly considered prolific and Iheanacho is a player who would find the net on a more consistent basis.