Journalist Raises Valid Questions On Celtic Forward: Keep Him Or Cut Ties This Summer? | OneFootball

Michael Gannon has laid it bare on the Record Celtic podcast. Kelechi Iheanacho’s future at Parkhead is under a proper cloud, and the journalist didn’t pull his punches. The core issue? Injuries. Gannon reckons the Nigerian striker is a walking risk, liable to drop out of action for four to six months at any point next term. That sort of layout breaks a title bid before the winter frost sets in.

Gannon sounds the alarm over Iheanacho

“The problem is that Iheanacho could [get injured] at any point in time and miss four or six months. He had a pre-season at Sevilla last year; he played pre-season games. He didn’t play an awful lot, but he had minutes, and he was training. But he didn’t really look fit when he arrived. It got to a point where [O’Neill] had to hang his hat on him. He got him in by default, and he did perform during that last stretch of games.”

“If you get Iheanacho doing that over a season, then absolutely, but can you guarantee that? I’m not sure. If they can get two or three strikers lined up, then you say, ‘Thanks, Kelechi, you done your job.’ If they haven’t, they’re going to need to sign him. They might have to hit the button and keep him, purely as an insurance policy.”

Look at his arrival. He did pre-season with Sevilla in 2024-25, got minutes in friendlies, yet turned up in Glasgow looking miles off the pace. The hamstrings didn’t hold up. Getting hooked before half-time in the League Cup final proved Gannon’s point about his fragility. Martin O’Neill basically inherited him by default when he took the hot seat mid-season.

Yet, the lad didn’t hide. He dug in. He came up trumps with that late penalty in the 3-2 win against Motherwell, keeping the title charge alive. Then Iheanacho popped up off the bench to secure the Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline. It’s the classic Iheanacho paradox: barren spells mixed with pure gold. Now, Celtic face a choice. Bring in fresh blood and say goodbye, or trigger his one-year extension as a safety net.

Parkhead chiefs must choose ruthlessness over sentiment

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MAY 16: Kelechi Iheanacho of Celtic holds the William Hill Premiership Trophy following the team’s victory in the William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Heart of Midlothian at Celtic Park on May 16, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

He wants to stay. Iheanacho has made that clear. The fans love him for those cup final exploits, but you can’t run a football club on sentimentality. Not when the squad looks this bare. Daizen Maeda could be off. Junior Adamu, Tomas Cvancara, and Joel Mvuka are all heading back to their parent clubs. The frontline is hollowed out.

Trashing his contract without bodies through the door is madness. The sensible play for Celtic is obvious. Trigger the option. Get the paperwork done, but immediately sign two robust, quick forwards who can handle the gruelling 50-game Scottish calendar.

Two hamstring tears in one campaign isn’t bad luck. It’s a trend. O’Neill has already dropped hints about managing his minutes, admitting the player is champing at the bit to start a clash with the medical reality. You simply cannot anchor a domestic and European campaign on a player who needs wrapping in cotton wool. Competition breeds success. Celtic should keep the player on the books, sure, but recruit so heavily that if his leg pings again in November, the team doesn’t stall.