Former Aston Villa striker Alan McInally has weighed in on the future of Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho at Celtic ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Nigerian striker’s future at the Scottish champions remains uncertain heading into the summer, with doubts over whether he will still be at the club beyond this summer.
Iheanacho joined Celtic from Sevilla last summer on a free transfer, signing an initial one-year deal, with the club holding an option to extend it by another year. However, he will officially become a free agent on July 1 when his current contract expires, if no extension is agreed until then.
Despite scoring six goals in the final stretch of the season and helping Celtic secure the Scottish Premier League title as well as the Scottish Cup to complete a domestic double, the club is yet to make a final decision on his future.
McInally backs Celtic to extend Iheanacho’s contract
Celtic have already confirmed the permanent appointment of head coach Martin O’Neill after an impressive campaign and they now face key decisions regarding several players ahead of the new season, with Iheanacho’s situation one of the issues to be resolved.
The Scottish champions are expected to strengthen their squad in the transfer window, as they aim to retain their league crown next season after a remarkable challenge the last time out which went down to the final day.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Record, former Scotland and Celtic striker Alan McInally expressed admiration for Iheanacho’s quality and has backed his former side to extend the Nigerian forward’s stay, although he stressed the need for the striker to prove his fitness.
McInally noted that the 29-year-old’s injury and fitness issues have been a concern, but believes a full pre-season could help him reach peak condition and avoid similar problems next season.
“I would keep him. If he can perform the way he did in the last six games over the course of the season then he’s obviously worth keeping”, the ex-Aston Villa forward said, via The Herald.
“That’s the big question though. It’s about keeping him fit. I don’t know if he’s enjoying Glasgow too much – maybe Martin should put a tag on him!
“Joking aside, it would be interesting to see how he responds to a full pre-season. He clearly enjoys playing for Celtic. You can see that. And why wouldn’t he, playing in front of 60,000 every other week and competing for trophies?
“It’s up to him to have the discipline and the attitude to play week in, week out.”
McInally also admitted that Celtic must avoid losing a player of Iheanacho’s quality, especially given the form he showed towards the end of last season.
“You could see how Martin managed to get the best out of Iheanacho in the last part of the season so he could do so again”, the former Scotland forward added.
“The thing is, if he does go, he would need to be replaced. You look at his quality and his ability in front of goal, that doesn’t come easily.
“Some players need a kick, and others need a hug, although most want a hug these days, but if Martin feels he can get him going again then he’s definitely worth keeping.”
Iheanacho continues to wait for clarity over his future at Celtic, with a final decision expected in the coming weeks to end the ongoing uncertainty.
In the meantime, the striker will focus on regaining full fitness and force his way back into Nigeria’s squad under Eric Chelle. He has not featured for the Super Eagles since the 2025 Unity Cup victory and will be hoping to be in contention for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, which will kickoff in September.
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