Six goals in the final stretch of the season. A domestic double. An atmosphere of 60,000 at Celtic Park every other week. Alan McInally watched all of it and reached a simple conclusion Celtic should not let Kelechi Iheanacho walk out of the door.
Kelechi Iheanacho’s Celtic contract expires on July 1. The Nigerian striker joined the Scottish champions from Sevilla last summer on a one year deal that contained a club option for a second season, and that option has not yet been triggered. The formal decision on whether he stays or leaves is still to come, and it is a decision that has attracted more outside opinion than most transfer questions in the Scottish Premiership this summer. Alan McInally, a former Celtic and Aston Villa striker whose perspective on what the club needs carries genuine weight among supporters, has made his view plain.
Speaking to the Daily Record and The Herald, McInally said he would retain Iheanacho and backed Martin O’Neill to get the best out of the forward again in the coming season, provided one condition is met. That condition is fitness. McInally’s assessment was that the quality Iheanacho showed in the final six matches of the season, during which he scored six goals as Celtic secured the Scottish Premiership title and the Scottish Cup to complete a domestic double, is the standard by which the retention decision should be made. The argument is simple if a player can deliver at that level, he is worth keeping. Nigerian football fans following Iheanacho’s club future can stay updated with the latest news and get the best pre-match offers at Nigeria’s top Bet9ja promotion code page as the summer window unfolds.
The Case McInally Made
McInally pointed to the environment Iheanacho has been playing in as part of the argument for why a player of his ability should want to stay. Celtic Park, with its capacity of around 60,000, is one of the most atmospheric grounds in European football when it is full, and the Nigerian forward has been performing in front of crowds of that size every home fixture. Add to that the regular opportunity to compete for trophies, which Celtic delivered in the shape of both domestic honours this season, and the case for a player committing to another year becomes obvious from the outside looking in. McInally was clear that Iheanacho’s enjoyment of playing for the club was “you can see that” visible and genuine.
The fitness concern is the part of McInally’s assessment that goes beyond pure admiration. Iheanacho’s absence from the Super Eagles since the 2025 Unity Cup win reflects a difficult period with injuries and availability that has cost him not just international appearances but stretches of club football at Celtic too. McInally’s suggestion was that a complete, uninterrupted pre-season under O’Neill’s management could be the reset the forward needs to sustain his form across a full campaign rather than delivering it only in its final weeks. That distinction, between a player who peaks for six games and one who contributes across 38, is what will ultimately determine the value Celtic’s board places on the option to extend.
O’Neill’s Influence on the Decision
Martin O’Neill was confirmed as Celtic’s permanent head coach after an impressive first season back at the club, navigating a title race that went to the final day before the Hoops retained the championship. His management of Iheanacho in the closing months of the campaign was a significant factor in the Nigerian’s resurgent form, and McInally acknowledged that the relationship between coach and player appeared to be a productive one. The suggestion that O’Neill knows how to get the best out of Iheanacho, having already demonstrated it, strengthens the case for continuity from a purely football perspective.
Celtic face decisions across their squad as they prepare for the 2026-27 season, in which they will again target domestic dominance and potentially a deeper run in European competition. Iheanacho is one of several players whose contracts either expire or contain options that require resolution before the window closes. The club is expected to strengthen in the summer transfer market, and whether Iheanacho is part of that picture as a returning player or replaced by an incoming one will define a significant line of their attacking options heading into the new campaign. Scottish Premiership fans and Nigeria supporters following this story can find the latest transfer news alongside Bet9ja’s first deposit offers through Bet9ja’s first deposit guide ahead of the new season.
The Super Eagles Dimension
Iheanacho’s absence from the Super Eagles squad since the Unity Cup in May 2025 is the other thread running through his summer. Eric Chelle has built the Nigeria setup around a core that has been consistently available and performing, and a striker who has been managing fitness issues and uncertainty over his club situation is not easy to plan around in a national team context. The 2027 AFCON qualification campaign begins in September 2026, and Chelle will want his attacking options as settled as possible before the first qualifier. A confirmed Celtic extension, followed by a strong pre-season, would make Iheanacho’s Super Eagles case considerably easier to put forward than a summer spent in contractual limbo.
For now, the decision rests with Celtic and with Iheanacho himself. McInally’s intervention frames it as a straightforward question of fitness management rather than quality. The quality, in his view, is not in doubt. Whether a full pre-season can convert that end of season burst of goals into a sustainable contribution across a full year is the only question that remains to be answered. The answer will come in the weeks ahead. All updates on Iheanacho’s Celtic future and Super Eagles news are available at FootballInNigeria.com.ng’s Bet9ja promotion code page as the transfer window develops this summer.
📌 Did You Know?
- Kelechi Iheanacho joined Celtic from Sevilla on a free transfer in the summer of 2025, having spent the latter part of his career in Spain following his departure from Leicester City. His move to Glasgow came after Sevilla ended their association with him at the end of the 2024-25 La Liga season.
- Celtic Park, where Iheanacho has been performing home matches this season, has an official capacity of 60,832, making it the largest football stadium in Scotland and one of the 20 largest club football grounds in Europe by capacity.
- Alan McInally played for Celtic from 1984 to 1987 before joining Aston Villa, and later represented Bayern Munich and Scotland at international level. He was part of the Scotland squad for the 1990 World Cup in Italy and is a respected pundit on Scottish football.
- Martin O’Neill’s first spell as Celtic manager from 2000 to 2005 produced three Scottish Premiership titles, three Scottish Cups, two Scottish League Cups, and a UEFA Champions League final appearance in 2003, making his return to the club a significant moment for supporters.
- The 2025-26 Scottish Premiership title race went to the final day, with Celtic retaining the championship under O’Neill. Iheanacho’s six goals in the closing stretch of the campaign were a key contributor to securing the title ahead of their rivals.
- Kelechi Iheanacho previously played for Manchester City, where he won the FA Cup, before joining Leicester City in 2017. He is best remembered in England for a remarkable 2021 FA Cup campaign during which he scored six goals across the knockout rounds to help the Foxes win the trophy.
- The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, for which Super Eagles qualification begins in September 2026, will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, marking the first time the continental women’s and men’s tournaments have both been held in East Africa in the same decade.
