Leicester: Can Kelechi Iheanacho be Jamie Vardy’s replacement?

Kelechi Iheanacho has given a lot of promising displays for Leicester City against the apportioned minutes afforded to him by the manager in recent weeks.

Fans are certainly overjoyed with Iheanacho’s crucial performances recently, where he has stepped up big time to fill the missing boots of many Foxes starters. The often capricious tendency of fans critiqued Jamie Vardy, and contrarily hailed Kelechi Iheanacho with praise as their near future prime frontman.

Comparisons for Leicester City’s dyad

It is to no one’s surprise that Vardy has hit a rough patch after his surgery. His showings have been significantly distinguishable as it’s hard not to notice when such a prolific goalscorer is unable to register his name onto the scoresheet often. Essentially Vardy has failed to deliver after his return, whether fault lays at the forward’s door is up for debate.

On the other hand, due to a series of long injuries, the manager had no other attacking options left other than the Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho. The 24-year-old striker had previously impressed quite well in Leicester City’s Europa League campaign.

But the same cannot be said for Iheanacho’s earlier entrusted minutes in the Premier League. However, this recent chance was grasped well by the forward – he sure did exceed everyone’s expectations and came through to deliver for the team in desperate times of need.

The latter clicked at the perfect moment for the King Power club and added two crucial goals in back-to-back games against Brighton and Burnley. Which takes his tally to a total of three goals with seven starts this season in the Premier League, making him the third-ranked player for the Foxes considering a minutes per goal ratio. He has also scored the same number of open play goals as Vardy did this season.

In addition to that, there are three goals and three assists to his name in seven matches – with five starts – in the UEFA Europa League and one goal in three matches in the FA Cup.

Could Kelechi Iheanacho contest takeover when Jamie Vardy retires?

It’s dangerous to advance short-term goals at the expense of long-range considerations. As impressive as it may be it’s not viable to rule out Vardy’s importance for this team yet. It’s absurd to even consider the possibility of dropping Vardy out for a few games to rest because the attack-minded players are mostly out injured.

Iheanacho was rated very highly as an upcoming young prospect in his time at Manchester City, but after joining Leicester in August 2017 he has gradually lost that charisma and belief that praise once showered him with. He has not performed as per his expected statistical trajectory. Yet considering the fact that he is only 24 and is yet to develop & mature fully, there is plenty of time for the Nigerian to improve and hit his prime.

Leicester City should keep using him by rewarding him with more minutes as he has been showing his poaching abilities as a striker in dreadful times. Brendan Rodgers should not keep such a player benched, he should trust him with more opportunities to shine.

Gradually in the upcoming seasons, we will surely witness Vardy’s minutes reduce and Iheanacho’s increase. But for the aspirational future to be secured, the East Midland side needs to acquire one more clinical frontman such as Odsonne Édouard to establish a proper attacking mindset.

Investing in players with good potential will be crucial for the club’s success in the summer transfer window, 2021/22 and beyond.