Kelechi Iheanacho closing in on £25m Leicester switch as Manchester City demand £50m buy-back clause
KELECHI IHEANACHO is finally set to join Leicester but Manchester City have reportedly got their way with a buy-back clause.
Etihad chief Pep Guardiola will let the young hotshot leave for £25million as he cannot dislodge Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero.
But the Citizens have not given up on one of their brightest prospects and insisted on having a £50m return written in to the deal, according to the Telegraph.
Landing Iheanacho is a huge coup for Leicester chief Craig Shakespeare, who fought off competition from Tottenham, West Ham and Monaco.
And even if City trigger the clause, the Foxes will double their money - making the deal attractive to both sides.
Iheanacho has been on the brink of moving to the Midlands for weeks but the switch hit a last-minute snag due to a row over image rights with his former agents.
On the delay, Shakespeare said: "I'm hoping he will be available for the game at Arsenal, but I am like every other manager at the moment.
"I think we all find it frustrating but it is the current market.
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"You saw with the Harry Maguire one, we got that done quick. When he is in the door, we can announce it.
"At the moment, of course, we are interested in players as most of the Premier League is, but you can see that clubs won't really talk about it until they are over the line."
Iheanacho, 20, could now make his debut in Friday's friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach ahead of the Premier League opener against Arsenal a week later.
Speaking last month, Guardiola confirmed he still believed Iheanacho could make the cut at City but would allow him to leave for first-team football.
He said: “We have an option to have the opportunity in a few years to bring him back.
“But he’s a young player and we believe he deserves to play.
"He needs to play at that age and that’s why him, the club and everybody, we decide what’s best for him."
