Michael Stewart Urges Celtic to Activate Iheanacho Contract Option After Nigerian Striker’s Scottish Double Heroics

Former Scotland international and pundit Michael Stewart has issued a direct warning to Celtic, urging the club to activate a pre-agreed one-year extension in Kelechi Iheanacho‘s contract before the Nigerian forward attracts interest elsewhere.

Speaking on Premier Sports, Stewart pointed to Celtic’s well-documented struggles to field a recognised centre-forward during the earlier part of the 2025/26 campaign as a compelling argument for retaining the 29-year-old. Iheanacho’s current deal includes a club-controlled option that Celtic have not yet formally triggered.

“He wants to stay. The deal is in place; I just think the club have the option,” Stewart said. “So they can trigger it if they want. It’s not as if they’re going to have to negotiate a deal here. The deal’s already in place; it’s just a question of whether they want to trigger it.”

Stewart went further, cautioning against a repeat of what he described as a chaotic recruitment situation. “I would be very, very surprised if they weren’t [triggering it] because look at the debacle they had this season in terms of not really even having a striker, the window shutting, and then signing Kelechi Iheanacho because they didn’t have anything. So, I think he’s already there, the deal’s already effectively done.”

Iheanacho arrived at Celtic Park as a late reinforcement after a difficult spell in European football. The Super Eagles forward had endured underwhelming stints at Sevilla in Spain’s La Liga and Middlesbrough in the English Championship before making the move to Glasgow, with few anticipating the level of impact he would ultimately deliver.

His contribution across 24 appearances amounted to nine goals — a return that proved decisive in Celtic’s run-in. The highlight of his debut season in Scotland came on Saturday, 23 May, when Iheanacho came off the bench to score a 72nd-minute goal in Celtic’s 3-1 Scottish Cup final victory over Dunfermline Athletic, completing a domestic double that also included the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership title.

The domestic double adds further weight to the case for continuity in Celtic’s attacking department. Should the club opt not to exercise the option, they would face the challenge of sourcing a replacement striker — a task that proved problematic at the start of the current campaign and one Stewart believes the club cannot afford to repeat heading into the 2026/27 season.

Iheanacho, who previously spent several seasons at Leicester City and made his name in the Premier League, has reinvented himself as a key figure for both Celtic and the Nigerian national team. His late-season form will inevitably draw attention from clubs across Europe, making the timing of any contract decision increasingly significant for the Scottish champions.