Iheanacho Would Only Be a Squad Player at Aston Villa, Says Hutton

Former Tottenham defender Alan Hutton believes Kelechi Iheanacho would only be a squad player at Aston Villa if he moves to Villa Park this summer

Kelechi Iheanacho would only be a squad player at Aston Villa if he joins the club this summer, according to former Tottenham defender Alan Hutton.

Iheanacho is entering the final week of his Leicester City contract, having spent the last seven years at the King Power Stadium, scoring 61 goals and providing 34 assists in 232 games.

The 27-year-old Nigeria international has been linked with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, which could prove to be the biggest payday of his career.

With his Leicester contract expiring this summer, Iheanacho is widely expected to secure a financially beneficial move to the Saudi Pro League, having scored five goals last season to help Leicester return to the Premier League.

Aston Villa are also said to be interested in Iheanacho, who could be tempted by the prospect of playing in the Champions League with the Lions next season.

According to Football Insider, Villa are keeping tabs on the striker, with sporting director Monchi having already held talks with his representatives over a potential move to Villa Park.

The report adds that Villa are considering Iheanacho as a replacement for Jhon Duran, with the 20-year-old Colombia international set to leave Villa Park amid interest from Chelsea.

Speaking to Villa News, Hutton has claimed that Villa should be aiming higher than Iheanacho, who he doesn’t view as an upgrade on Duran.

“I feel like they will (aim for a higher target),” Hutton said. “I mean we’re talking about a Champions League team here. You know I like Duran, I just don’t think that’s an upgrade if I’m honest.”

Hutton went on to suggest that Iheanacho could be a useful squad player for cup games, but he doubts whether he would challenge Ollie Watkins for the starting centre-forward role.

“Watkins for me is number one there’s no getting away from that,” the former Villa star added. “You need somebody else you can’t go through a full campaign as well as Europe just having one striker.”

Iheanacho, meanwhile, does have experience of playing in the Champions League, having scored twice in three appearances for Manchester City during the 2016/17 season.

The striker, who joined Leicester from Man City in 2017, has also enjoyed a successful spell in the Premier League, where he has scored 42 goals and provided 25 assists in 196 appearances for the Foxes and the Citizens.