Payment Arrangement Stalls Iheanacho’s City Switch.

Kelechi Iheanacho has opted out of his transfer to Manchester City because of the English club’s payment arrangement.

The midfielder, who was voted Most Valuable Player in last month’s FIFA Under-17 World Cup, reportedly signed a contract with City last weekend after passing a medical in Madrid, Spain, with the club’s chief scout Gary Worthington in attendance.

On completion of the transfer formalities, the teenager was to get £250,000, his father was expected to be paid £350,000, while Taye Academy in Owerri (the player’s former club) should have made £300,000.

The bone of contention in the aforementioned agreement came to fore when the lad and his father, James, who accompanied him to Spain, found out they will only get paid by January 2015, when Iheanacho must have clocked 18 years of age.

Kelechi Iheanacho Could Ignore Manchester City to Join Porto.
Kelechi Iheanacho Could Ignore Manchester City to Join Porto.

Kennedy Echenwere, Iheanacho’s mentor at Taye Academy, told Brila Sports Radio: “Kelechi is in Lagos now; he has decided to join FC Porto and not Manchester City.”

Portuguese champions FC Porto have tabled an offer for the Golden Eaglets starlet and were at a time considered favourites to seal a deal for the forward.

But the Nigeria youth international’s father has said the family are trying to persuade Kelechi to join City.