Crystal Palace free to sign goal-machine for absolutely nothing

Crystal Palace may finally land a long-term target on a free transfer after Leicester City confirmed Kelechi Iheanacho will leave the club this summer.

The Foxes announced on Friday that the Nigeria international will depart following the conclusion of his contract, exiting alongside Premier League winner Marc Albrighton and Belgian midfielder Dennis Praet.

Iheanacho spent seven years with Leicester after leaving Manchester City in 2017, scoring 61 goals in 232 appearances across all competitions and helping the club win FA Cup, Community Shield and Championship titles.

However, Iheanacho was never able to fully establish himself as a regular starter and managed to break double figures for league goals in a single season just once — scoring 12 times in 25 Premier League appearances in 2020/21.

Iheanacho scored six goals across all competitions in his final season with the Foxes, including five goals in 23 Championship appearances.

Could Crystal Palace re-ignite Iheanacho interest?

As recently as August 2023, Crystal Palace were heavily linked with a move for Iheanacho, with Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reporting that the Eagles were willing to pay £10-15m for the striker.

The move collapsed with Leicester demanding more money. However, there’s no doubt Iheanacho would fill a need for Oliver Glasner.

Jean-Philippe Mateta has been in stunning form since Glasner took over as Palace boss on February 19th, scoring more goals (13) than any other player in the Premier League during that time.

However, reports — including from South London Press — suggest that Palace are willing to sell fellow striker Odsonne Edouard this summer.

It’s understood a £20m price tag has been set for Edouard, while fans of the Frenchman’s former club, Celtic, have been abuzz on social media speculating about a possible return north.

That would leave Glasner in need of a steady backup for Mateta and although Iheanacho is known more for his pace behind than the technical ability required to play in the Austrian’s system, the 27-year-old being available on a free could save some considerable funds for elsewhere on the pitch.

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