Nigeria U20 star Kelechi Iheanacho will be listed by Manchester City in next season’s first-team squad, according to the EPL club’s top recruitment boss.
Gary Worthington, head of player recruitment at City and a former striker with Wrexham and Wigan Athletic, said Iheanacho is in Manuel Pellegrini’s plans for the forthcoming season.
“Kelechi is back scoring goals after his injury. After what he showed in recent games like that against Manchester United (U21s), he is very much part of the first-team plans for next season,” Worthington said.
The 18-year-old Iheanacho has already been granted a work permit in England under the special talent clause and has insisted he wishes to battle it out with City’s superstars like Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko for a spot in the first XI.
The Nigeria youngster has turned down a chance to go out on loan, insisting he would rather stay back at the Ettihad and fight to make the first team.
“He refused to go on loan. He and his representatives have told City he would rather battle the likes of Aguero and Dzeko for a place in the first team,” revealed the source.
Iheanacho has in the meantime reunited with the Flying Eagles ahead of the U20 World Cup in New Zealand after he joined them up in Auckland for Tuesday’s flight to New Plymouth, where Nigeria will play all their group games.
The Manchester City prodigy arrived the 2015 Fifa U20 World Cup venue ahead of his teammates who are currently in Germany on training tour
Iheanacho has landed in Auckland, capital of the host nation, New Zealand, ahead of his teammates from Germany for the 2015 Fifa U20 World Cup, Goal understands.
The 18-year-old got a brace in Manchester City U21s’ 2-1 win over city rivals Manchester United on Saturday.
Despite missing the African Youth Championship in Senegal earlier in the year, the former Golden Eaglets star made the 21-man list for the U20 World Cup which begins on Saturday, May 30.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Nigeria U20 squad are expected to land in New Zealand from Germany on Tuesday to team up with Iheanacho before flying together to New Plymouth, venue of the opening games against Brazil on June 1.
Other foriegn-based players still awaited are Gent of Belgium striker Moses Simon and Issac Success of Granada with their travelling process nearly sorted out by the NFF.
