Claude Puel speaks on Iheanacho’s reported exit

Leicester City manager Claude Puel has offered some ray of hope to Nigeria’s Kelechi Iheanacho, amid reports the Foxes are looking to sell him off this transfer window after he failed to make an impact at the club since signing from Manchester City last summer.

However, in a recent interview, Puel stated that Iheanacho will get minutes on the pitch this year, but warned the Nigeria international has to keep working and improving.

“Iheanacho is a young player, arrived this season, and he will stay with us,” Puel told Sky Sports.

“Iheanacho is a young player, he signed this season with us and we have to develop him. I hope he can have more game time in the second half of the season.

“Yes, for Iheanacho there has been a lot of speculation. He is a young player who arrives in a good team where there is competition and he needs to keep working and improve.”

The Nigeria star has made just five appearances since Puel’s arrival in October.

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr had urged Iheanacho to quit the Premier League so as to boost his chances of making it to the World Cup in Russia in the summer.