Danny Murphy cannot understand Kelechi Iheanacho’s lack of game time at Leicester City while indicating that Premier League rivals Everton should consider a move for the Nigeria international, speaking to talkSPORT (4 January, 12.20pm).
Cast your mind back nearly two years ago; Iheanacho, at the time, looked set to finally unleash the potential he showed during those formative days at Manchester City, scoring by the bucketload while earning himself a Premier League Player of the Month award to boot.
Talk about a flash in the pan.
Remarkably, Iheanacho found the net more times (five) during March 2021 alone than he has in the last 20 months altogether. The 26-year-old’s remarkable purple patch was certainly short-lived; Iheanacho arguably further than ever down the King Power pecking order these days.
He’s started just once under Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers this term. Murphy cannot understand why opportunities have been in such short supply, however, Iheanacho having proven two years back that he can be a prolific Premier League marksmen when given a run of games.
Should Everton consider a move for Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho?
“I think he’s got to play more,” says Murphy, the former England, Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder. “I like Iheanacho. Iheanacho gets goals. I know he’s a bit unorthodox in the way he plays but he gets goals.”
Murphy wonders if Everton, a side who have now lost eight of their last 11 games to pile further pressure on Frank Lampard, may be tempted to take a punt on Iheanacho, given that neither Dominic Calvert-Lewin nor Neal Maupay are finding goals easy to come by at present.
“He’d do for Everton, Iheanacho. You leave him up there, get the ball to him and he’ll get you goals.”
Leicester paid £25 million to sign Iheanacho from Man City back in 2017. His contract, meanwhile, has just over a year-and-a-half to run. The Foxes are quickly running out of time if they want to secure any real return on their investment.
‘Time’ is not exactly on Lampard’s side either. Per talkSPORT, the former Chelsea boss is on the brink if the sack following Tuesday’s humiliating 4-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, with Murphy identifying Sean Dyche as a potentially inspired replacement.
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