The Kyle Walker to Manchester City transfer saga has been going on for a while. Tottenham Hotspur have placed a £50 million price tag on the England international defender, which City are refusing to meet.
The Citizens are willing to pay as much as £40 million in order to secure the services of Walker, who is one of the best right-backs in the Premier League. It seems that Spurs and City are at an impasse.
However, could Kelechi Iheanacho play a role in the transfer? Could City try to sweeten the deal with Tottenham over Walker by throwing in the 20-year-old forward? After all, Spurs are reportedly interested in the youngster.
Tottenham need to sign a striker in the summer transfer window. Harry Kane, who is the favourite to be the topscorer next season with Premier League betting odds of 3/1 according to bet365, is the first-choice striker for the North London outfit at the moment and will continue to be so, but the England international needs a back-up. Vincent Janssen is still at the club, but can manager Mauricio Pochettino trust him next season?
The 23-year-old Netherlands international striker endured a nightmare campaign in the Premier League last season. The former AZ star could score only two goals and provide just two assists in 27 league appearances for Spurs in 2016-17. If Kane suffers a long-term injury or has a dip in form in 2017-18, could Janssen step up?
It could be argued that Spurs should give Janssen another season to show what he is capable of, and the Dutchman is still quite young and is developing. However, it would be wise of Tottenham manager Pochettino to recruit another striker and provide extra competition for that position.
Iheanacho is a hugely talented forward with a lot of potential, and he has experience of playing in the Premier League. The 20-year-old may be behind Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus in the pecking order at City, but there can be no doubt that the Nigeria international forward is a very good footballer.
The Nigerian was able to make only five starts in the Premier League for City last season, but the 20-year-old still scored four goals and provided three assists. During the 2015-16 campaign, the youngster scored eight goals and created 14 chances in 26 league appearances.
It is only a matter of time before Walker leaves for City, and it would not help Tottenham to drag the transfer saga on any longer. Spurs should be open to the idea of including Iheanacho in the deal for the 27-year-old former Sheffield United right-back. If the Citizens offer £30m and Iheanacho in the deal to sign Walker, then Tottenham should accept it. In fact, Spurs should actually propose the idea themselves.
Spurs are a massive and ambitious club, and have made huge progress over the past three seasons. Just like in 2016-17, Tottenham will be aiming to challenge for the Premier League title in 2017-18. It would not be too tough for Spurs to convince Iheanacho to make the switch, as he would be aware of how good manager Pochettino is with young players and how much he can develop them.
