Chelsea can learn from Leicester City’s treatment of Kelechi Iheanacho
Patience is a virtue
Iheanacho arrived at the King Power Stadium in 2017 from Manchester City in a deal worth £25 million. The Nigerian had burst onto the scene two years before his big move and had since been promoted to Sergio Aguero’s understudy. However, when Leicester City came calling with the promise of a more prominent role, he could not refuse. Besides, there was an actual opportunity of leading the line for the club in the long run with Vardy entering his twilight years.
To say that it did not go according to plan for him would be an understatement. He endured a nightmare spell at the King Power, which extended to three whole seasons. The youngster scored eight goals in his first season, but only three of those were in the Premier League. He followed it up by netting just twice in 35 appearances the season after. Calls for Leicester to cut ties with him grew louder and louder, both within and outside the fanbase. As decreed by social media and some football pundits, Iheanacho had proven to be a flop, a bad investment, a talent wasted.
The easy way out of an inconvenient situation for the club would’ve been to sell him on or, as Chelsea has become an expert in, loan him out. Nevertheless, the Foxes kept patience with him. A change in manager midway through the 2018/19 season transformed the atmosphere at the club, and several players benefitted from it, including Iheanacho. The youngster continued his development under the coaching of Brendan Rodgers and the tutelage of Vardy. Slowly and steadily, he grew in stature, picked up his performances and returned to the form, which made people take notice of him in the first place.
Leicester City benefitted from its continued faith in the player too. Iheanacho hit top form halfway through the current season and is on course to displace Vardy as the club’s top scorer for the first time in five years. Perhaps the most important detail from Leicester’s treatment of Iheanacho is not that the club continued to put faith in the player, but that it did so without compromising on its bigger targets. The Foxes only missed out on a Champions League spot last season due to a late collapse initiated by an injury crisis.
They are on track to avoid such a situation this time around, and barring any big breakdown, will qualify for Europe’s premier competition next season. They have comfortably been one of the division’s best sides over the last two years and could even end the spell by winning a trophy. Powered by a goal from Ihenacho, they reached the FA Cup final and will now face Chelsea for the FA Cup trophy.