Having missed the season opener of Sevilla in La Liga against Las Palmas, Kelechi Iheanacho, the Nigerian football star, is now primed to step onto the La Liga stage for his Spanish club. This exciting development comes following confirmation of his official registration for the current season, as reported by PUNCH Sports Extra.
Sevilla had recently announced the acquisition of the 27-year-old, after his contract with Leicester City expired at the close of the last season. He signed a two-year deal with the Andalusian club.
Although Iheanacho was absent from most of Sevilla’s pre-season friendly matches, including the game against Fulham, he did travel with the team for a 4-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield Stadium.
Despite his eagerness to make his debut for Sevilla in a competitive match, Iheanacho was sidelined for the first game of the season against Las Palmas due to the club’s failure to register him in compliance with La Liga’s strict financial regulations.
In an attempt to balance the club’s finances, Sevilla tried to offload defender Loic Bade for €20m on Monday, aiming to create room to meet their salary limit requirements.
However, Bade turned down a move to Stuttgart despite an agreement between the clubs. This decision added to Iheanacho’s uncertainties, hinting that he could face exclusion once more for the upcoming match against Villarreal on matchday 2.
Renowned Spanish journalist Gonzalo Tortosa confirmed that the Seville-based club has successfully registered Iheanacho for the La Liga season, making him eligible for selection as they clash against Villarreal at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Friday (today).