Iheanacho signs one-year deal with Celtic as free agent
Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho has joined Celtic on a one-year contract as a free agent, with an option to extend the deal further for a year, subject to international clearance
The Scottish side confirmed the signing of the 28-year-old forward on their official website, confirming Iheanacho’s arrival as a free agent just hours after his contract with Sevilla FC was mutually terminated.
The move secured the Nigerian international ahead of the Celtic’s Europa League registration deadline.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers praised Iheanacho, saying, “I know Kelechi so well and what he can bring to the team.”
He expressed confidence that Iheanacho “will love being at Celtic” and that fans “will love what he brings.”
Rodgers added, “I am sure he will make a big contribution to the team.”
Iheanacho heads to Scotland following a brief spell at Sevilla, where he joined last summer on a free transfer from Leicester City with a contract lasting until June 2026. His time in La Liga was limited, as he struggled to secure regular playing time and regain his best form.
He appeared 11 times for the club, netting three goals in all competitions but failing to score in nine La Liga matches.
In the January transfer window, Iheanacho was loaned out to English Championship side Middlesbrough, where he played 15 games, scoring once and providing two assists.
The Nigerian attacker started his career at Manchester City, where he made his senior debut in 2015 before moving to Leicester City in 2017, where he spent more than six seasons, scoring 35 goals in 173 appearances.
While at the King Power Stadium, he won the FA Cup and the Community Shield and was named the club’s ‘Player of the Season’ during their relegation campaign.
Iheanacho featured for Nigeria’s Super Eagles over 60 times since his 2015 debut, scoring crucial goals in World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations, helping Nigeria reach the 2023 AFCON final.
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