Newcastle move for Iheanacho, Musa for CSKA medical

Relegation-threatened Newcastle  are reportedly considering a move to persuade rejuvenated  Leicester  City  forward Kelechi Iheanacho to dump their Premier League rivals for  St. James’ Park in  the January transfer window.


Newcastle, who crashed out of the FA Cup  following their 3-0 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday,  are on the market for a proven striker before the January transfer window closes on  Wednesday night. They are  one point above the drop zone and are in danger of a second relegation in three years.

According to reports, they have   had two bids rejected for Feyenoord’s Danish striker Nicolai Jorgensen, but  the Dutch giants  have demanded  £20m to part with  their prized asset.

With Feyenoord playing hardball over the 27-year-old Denmark forward,  under-pressure Magpies manager Rafael Benitez has reportedly shifted his attention to Iheanacho  as his plan B in case   he fails to land Jorgensen.

Super Eagles forward  Iheanacho, who  has started just two Premier League games for  the Foxes  since joining from Man City  last summer,  hit the back of the net twice in Leicester’s 5-1 defeat  of Peterborough in their  FA Cup fixture   against Peterborough at the ABAX Stadium on Saturday to take  his tally to four in the competition this season.

The Mirror  claimed on Sunday  that Newcastle had renewed their interest in Iheanacho, who shunned them   to join Leicester in a £25m  deal in August.

Meanwhile, meanwhile Iheanacho’s King Power Stadium  compatriot Ahmed Musa is expected  to join his former Russian side  CSKA Moscow on Monday.

According to his agent, Tony Harris, the 25-year-old  Nigeria winger, who joined Leicester in  a club-record £16.5m deal in the summer of 2016,  will have a medical  at CSKA  ahead of a season-long loan move.

“Leicester and CSKA have agreed on the transfer of Musa. Ahmed will move to CSKA on loan until the end of the season,’’  Harris told  Championat.com.

Musa, who is aiming to boost his chances of making Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr’s Russia 2018 World Cup squad,  was only involved in the Premier League in the current campaign when he was an unused substitute for the game at Liverpool on December 30.