Iheanacho and Nigerian Players Grappling With Uncertain Futures Ahead of the Transfer Window

• The 2023-24 season approaches its business end, and the summer window is on the horizon
• Several Nigerian players have their immediate club future far from settled ahead of next season
• Sports Brief spotlights players of the Super Eagles who are facing uncertainty about their club future

The summer transfer window is shaping up to be a pivotal period for several Super Eagles players, who find themselves in limbo regarding their club futures.

A flurry of Nigerian players, including Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho, have found playing time hard to come by at their respective clubs. It gets even trickier considering the fact that their current contracts are expected to run out at the end of the current campaign.

With their clubs seemingly reluctant to extend their contracts, it appears increasingly likely that these Nigerian stars will have to seek new opportunities elsewhere.

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In light of these developments, Sports Brief takes a closer look at the Nigerian players facing uncertainty over their club futures.

Nigerian players grappling with their future

Kelechi Iheanacho

The 27-year-old has seen his playing time with Enzo Maresca's Leicester City diminish since his return from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The versatile forward, who is in the final year of his contract at the English Championship club, has only featured for a combined 33 minutes since his return from the AFCON in February.

According to data from Fotmob, Iheanacho has recorded six goals and three assists this season but has seen his game time reduced drastically compared to previous seasons.

With Leicester showing no intent of offering the forward a new contract, all signs point to the end of his seven-year stint at the King Power Stadium. Iheanacho's future is definitely one to keep an eye on in the summer transfer window.

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Emmanuel Dennis

The 26-year-old has struggled to settle into any club in recent years since his unceremonious departure from Watford in 2022.

Despite shining at the English club, the combative forward has failed to find his footing anywhere, and his stints at other clubs, including Nottingham Forest and, most recently, the Turkish side, Istanbul Basaksehir, have failed to yield success.

Dennis is certain to be on the move in the summer, and a return to English football for the once highly rated forward cannot be ruled out.

Leon Balogun

The veteran defender is another player who could be on the move. The 35-year-old's short contract with Scottish Premiership side Rangers is expected to expire in the summer, and there has been little talk about the possibility of a renewal.

Considering his age, the defender may be contemplating retirement, or perhaps he could receive an offer from a club in Germany, given that he spent a significant part of his career there.

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Paul Onuachu

The 29-year-old is another player who is set to face another round of uncertainty regarding his immediate future.

The lanky forward's transfer to the English club, Southampton, has largely been a failure, leading him to resort to loan transfers in an attempt to rediscover his form.

Unfortunately for Onuachu, his quest to rediscover his goalscoring form will have to wait a little longer as he is currently dealing with a foot fracture that will keep him out for the remainder of the season.

The AFCON finalist seems all but certain to depart St. Mary's Stadium in the summer transfer window.

Super Eagles players worried about Nigeria’s next coach

Sports Brief in another report stated that select players of the Nigerian national team are worried about the coaching situation of the Super Eagles.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have continued to delay the announcement of the new manager of the national team.