The Hoops brought Iheanacho to the club in September as a free agent on a one-year deal, and although fans initially liked the look of him, he has failed to establish himself in the squad.
The striker has only played 12 games this season in all competitions, scoring three goals across them. Injuries and managerial changes haven’t helped his case, and now, he could be on the way out in the summer.
According to sources, he may be given the chance to impress from now until the end of the season, with the Hoops having the choice to trigger a one-year contract extension. Celtic will not make the decision to extend or let him leave until the campaign is over, so he has a few months left to show what he has to offer.
Left out of the squad, but in training
After returning from injury, Iheanacho has been left out of two matchday squads. He made an appearance against both Falkirk and FC Utrecht, but was omitted from the team for Dundee and Livingston. He seems to now be below both Junior Adamu and Tomas Cvancara in the pecking order, but Martin O’Neill could still give him a chance.
The striker is still in the registered squad for the Europa League, meaning that he could make his return as soon as Thursday when the Celts will take on VfB Stuttgart at Parkhead. He has been in training, as has Joel Mvuka, so it’s all down to Martin O’Neill now.
Although his stats don’t look good on paper, we think that he’s actually a great addition to the squad. He offers something different up front, and he has proven that he can find the net in fantastic fashion. If we do have to utilise him in Europe, it’s not the end of the world.
Of course, Cvancara has come in and hit the ground running. It is no surprise that O’Neill has been favouring the Czech, with him already winning over the fans due to his contributions in the hoops so far.
Adamu has also come in and saved Celtic’s Scottish Cup run with his 97th-minute equaliser against Dundee earlier this month. Although he had a brilliant debut, he has also featured against both Livingston and Kilmarnock and failed to make an impact.
So with both Adamu and Cvancara having not netted in the last few games, could this be the perfect opportunity for Iheanacho to prove that he still has what it takes? We think so.