Leicester City man can thank his lucky stars if Aston Villa deal materialises: View | OneFootball

According to Football Insider, Villa are plotting a move for the experienced Premier League attacker in a move similar to the one for Youri Tielemans last summer as his contract runs down.

But given his struggles to make the sort of impact in the Championship that many will have expected, it would seem fortunate were he to rock up at Villa Park to join the exciting project underway there. The West Midlands club are still battling in the Europa Conference League as well as fighting for fourth spot in the Premier League.

They are on course to play Champions League football next term and Iheanacho's underwhelming displays for Enzo Maresca's side this term, which have returned just six goals and three assists in nearly 20 appearances, do not speak to a player deserving of opportunities at that level.

The Nigerian emerged as a wonderkid at Manchester City but has failed to live up to that potential since his move to Leicester – with 61 goals and 34 assists in 232 appearances – and you would certainly understand if Villa fans were to turn their nose up at him as an option in the summer window.

But though he would be lucky to secure an exciting move to Villa, there is a logic to the potential deal.

Why Emery's interest actually make sense

The Villa Park faithful will certainly trust the recruitment department and Emery, should they decide Iheanacho is the right option.

The Spanish coach has been very dependent on former Brentford striker Ollie Watkins this season to provide the key goals. Watkins has done this in style, hitting double figures in goals and assists in the Premier League.

The manager needs to account for any potential long-term absence of his star striker and have a man ready to step up. Iheanacho's rejection of a contract extension at the King Power Stadium suggests he is vying for a new challenge and could fill that role well.

Watkins and Iheanacho are both similar enough in their play style to have the latter replace him as a substitute or in cup competitions, both being a threat on the counter-attack and favouring short interlinking passes in the final third. Emery may look for a young talent to fill this role but Iheanacho offers experience – he has scored goals at this level before and perhaps a move to somewhere like Villa can help him get back on track.

The Nigerian has scored 42 goals and registered 25 assists in 196 Premier League outings in his career so far, which could be exactly the kind of sprinkling of goals Villa could be looking for in a rotation striker.

If he wants the move to materialise, Iheanacho will have to accept his place in the pecking order but his performances at Leicester in recent years are unlikely to earn him the first choice striker spot at a club with ambitions like Villa.

Should he head to Villa Park this summer, the 27-year-old can count himself lucky and will need to prove that his new team were right to roll the dice on him.