National team coach claims striker is en route to England.
Check in to Fulham vs Manchester City
Nigeria national team boss Stephen Keshi has claimed that striker Kelechi Iheanacho is currently on his way to England to seal a move to a Premier League club believed to be Manchester City, Sky Sports reports.
Read More Manchester City Transfer News
Reports in both Africa and England have placed City at the forefront of the contenders looking to sign the 17-year-old, who was named as the star player the Under-17 World Cup, which Nigeria managed to win.
Iheanacho has recently been training with the senior side in preparation for next year’s African Nations Championship, which is usually competed by players based in Africa, rather than those based in Europe.
He has consistently been linked with a number of clubs from across Europe, but has insisted that he is likely to be heading for the Etihad.
“Initially a young man came declaring that he was the agent of Iheanacho, but I declined to deal with him until I heard from the family because the boy is still a minor,” Keshi is quoted by the Nigerian Guardian.
“It was soon after my rejection that I got a call from his father who told me that they have got a travelling visa to the United Kingdom and that I should oblige him with his son’s release.
“I did and told the young man to go and do the nation proud at whichever club he finally chooses to settle down with.
“We have to be cautious not to push the players too hard so that nobody will break down.”
Find out the top 10 biggest match-fixing scandals in sport history.