By Dayo Awoniyi
Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho has completed his loan spell at Middlesbrough and returned to Sevilla, with indications that the Nigerian international is seeking a permanent exit from the Spanish club ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Iheanacho, 28, joined Middlesbrough in January in search of regular playing time after struggling for minutes at Sevilla.
During his stint in the English Championship, the striker made 15 league appearances, scoring once and providing two assists. He missed only one match — a 3-1 defeat to Stoke City — throughout his time at the Riverside Stadium.
Despite limited goal returns, Iheanacho’s consistent presence in the squad was noted by manager Michael Carrick, who had hoped the Nigerian could rediscover his form.
Before his loan move, Iheanacho featured sparingly for Sevilla in the first half of the season, making nine league appearances without a goal.
However, he found the net three times in two Copa del Rey matches against lower-league opposition.
With his future at Sevilla uncertain, the former Manchester City striker is expected to consider permanent transfer options during the summer window.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
