- Crystal Palace aims to sign Kelechi Iheanacho for £10-15 million, but Leicester City demands £18 million
- Valuation gap between clubs, Iheanacho’s eagerness to move, and Palace’s interest create hope for a possible deal
Crystal Palace wants to sign Kelechi Iheanacho for £10-15 million, but Leicester City wants £18 million.
Florian Plettenberg insists that a deal for Kelechi Iheanacho is still in doubt because Crystal Palace have not met Leicester City’s £18 million asking price. The Eagles want to complete a deal for the relegated striker for £10-15 million all-in, with the player eager to depart.
Leicester City may yet lose key players in their pursuit of a return to the Premier League. Youri Tielemans was released for free, while James Maddison and Harvey Barnes were released on reasonable terms. Wilfried Ndidi, Kieran Drewsbury-Hall, and Kelechi Iheanacho could all leave.
Sticking with Iheanacho, the relegated striker has been attracting Crystal Palace’s attention for a few days. The Eagles want to complete a deal for the Nigerian, but the valuations set by the two clubs differ.
❗️🆕 Kelechi Iheanacho: Understand that Crystal Palace is pushing for the 26 y/o striker and would be ready to pay between £10-15m all-in. @CPFC
➡️ Leicester City demands £18m
➡️ Negotiations are stalling but Iheanacho is keen on the move. @SkySportDE 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/b1CReWJZWZ— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 30, 2023
Leicester City is reportedly asking £18 million for the striker. Crystal Palace will only make an all-inclusive offer of £10-15 million. The contract of Iheanacho expires next summer, adding to the pressure on the Foxes to get as much money as possible.
The deal could stall due to valuation differences, according to Florian Plettenberg, but with Iheanacho pushing, there is hope for a revival. As things stand, Palace could negotiate a deal that brings the relegated striker back to the Premier League for a price close to their asking price.
Palace has considered other options in the market, as they are also interested in Hugo Ekitike. If a sizable offer comes in, the Eagles may look to offload Jean-Philippe Mateta. Nonetheless, the Frenchman made a name for himself with a hat-trick against Plymouth Argyle in the Carabao Cup second round.
It may be insignificant, but having a new striker gives Roy Hodgson a different option. Palace is hoping to sign Iheanacho as their new striker. The Nigerian has extensive experience playing at the highest level.
Palace is also close to signing goalkeeper Dean Henderson. The Manchester United star will compete with Sam Johnstone for the No. 1 spot. There is a lot of optimism surrounding their pursuit of Iheanacho, owing to the striker’s determination to close the deal.