Why Iheanacho did not join Aina and Awoniyi at Nottingham Forest this summer
Nottingham Forest were interested in recruiting Kelechi Iheanacho this summer, but they were unable to do so due to Leicester City’s asking price, according to Soccernet.
Iheanacho joined Leicester City in 2017, and the 26-year-old attacker has had a tumultuous ride. The Nigerian forward has been named player of the season twice, although he has also been a peripheral character at the club.
Leicester City were demoted from the Premier League last season after finishing 18th in the league. Iheanacho was their greatest player that season, and with only one year left on his contract, there was speculation that he may quit the club.
The Super Eagles striker was connected with Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, and Crystal Palace, but nothing came of it.
According to the Athletic, Forest were interested in Iheanacho but were unwilling to pay Leicester City’s £20 million asking price. As a result, negotiations fell through.
Also, Crystal Palace came close to signing Iheanacho, but the deal fell through midway.
Because the transfer deadline has ended, it appears that Iheanacho will have to wait until next summer to depart for free. However, he might still leave in January, which is highly unlikely.
Nonetheless, he would do well this season in order to obtain a very excellent deal the following time around.
Nottingham Forest: Fabrizio Romano reveals new Origi transfer details
The transfer specialist has disclosed new information regarding Forest’s latest signing
Nottingham Forest made news on transfer deadline day when they announced the arrival of seven new players.
Divock Origi, a Belgian international and former Liverpool forward, has joined the City Ground on an initial season-long loan from AC Milan.
The 28-year-old was formally revealed as a Tricky Trees player early Saturday morning after the club was granted extra time to finish the paperwork for the move after the 11 p.m. deadline.
What is Forest paying for Divock Origi?
Fabrizio Romano, a European football journalist and transfer analyst, has now disclosed further details about the deal on social media, revealing the exact amount that ambitious owner Evangelos Marinakis would have to pay.
“Divock Origi has just completed formal steps of his move to Nottingham Forest with stadium presentation,” he tweeted around 48 hours after the transfer window closed, adding, “Loan deal includes buy option clause.” The €4.5m purchase clause is optional. Forest will pay your salary in full.”
According to Capology, that salary is estimated to be roughly £120,000 per week, or £6.24 million for the entire year.
How talented is Divock Origi?
Origi returns to England after a season in Milan in which he appeared 36 times for the Rosseneri but only scored twice. The striker is remembered warmly for his previous Premier League stint with Liverpool, where he established a reputation for rising to the occasion.
Origi joined Liverpool in 2014 and played 175 times, scoring 41 goals.
The Belgian famously scored a brace in Liverpool’s 4-0 comeback triumph against Barcelona in May 2019 to take them through to the Champions League final, where he would again score the winning goal as they defeated Tottenham 2-0 to win the prestigious cup for the sixth time.
Other highlights from his Liverpool career include his participation in the club’s Premier League triumph in 2020, as well as his appearance in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup double in 2022.
Origi has been capped 32 times for Belgium and has scored three goals, one of which came during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Despite still being available for national team selections at this stage of his career, he has not featured for Belgium since March 2022 and was not included in the squad for the upcoming international friendlies this September.
Will Divock Origi start for Nottingham Forest?
Regarding his new side Nottingham Forest, they currently sit ninth in the Premier League table after four games played, winning two and losing two. They most recently picked up three massive points in a 1-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, ensuring they go into the break on a positive note.
Origi will have strong competition at Forest upon his arrival with several players being able to lead the line, including Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi – the latter having scored or assisted in each of his four league appearances so far this season, though Origi can offer his valuable experience of winning major titles to the current squad.
The former Liverpool “monster” – as once regarded by Burnley boss Vincent Kompany – could be a vastly experienced and worthwhile addition to the frontline and perhaps a true successor to the departed Brennan Johnson, who joined top-flight rivals Tottenham Hotspur the very same evening.
