Following his unimpressive performance since joining Sevilla from Leicester City, the Sporting Director of the La Liga side, Víctor Orta, has stated that the team is considering several options for Kelechi Iheanacho before making a final decision on the Nigerian forward.
Orta mentioned on the club’s website that Iheanacho is also evaluating some offers. “I believe he (Iheanacho) is considering some offers that we have presented to him. There is one week left, and I think there are three offers. It’s a matter of the player choosing his best option for the next six months. We all expected a higher performance from him. That has nothing to do with his quality, and there is interest from other teams. I believe he wants to play more, and we’ll see what happens until Monday.”
Meanwhile, Orta described their new signee, Akor Adams, as a complete striker. “He (Akor) is a player we have been following for some time. During his time in Norway and at the beginning in Montpellier, he had excellent numbers. Due to the circumstances of the team, he couldn’t maintain that output, but when we saw that he was available on the market, we did not hesitate to sign him. He can bring us physicality, speed, play with his back to goal, and energy. He is a very complete striker who has already played in a competitive league like the French league, with a lot of marking and intensity. Here, he can add and contribute with all those qualities.”
On the need to get the striking position right, Orta added, “With every signing, you have to have pressure because you want them to perform well. Strikers and central defenders are the most difficult positions to sign in the market, especially midseason when availability is lower. We have had to do a good job, but we have signed a great talent with which we are all very happy.”
Regarding what Akor would bring to the team, Orta said, “He is a good finisher. He even assists with his head and creates lots of chances for his teammates. He’s difficult for opposing center backs to mark because he’s not only tall but also agile and mobile. This is one of the reasons to occupy the area with a player with different characteristics from what we currently have.”
On why they signed Akor ahead of Manchester United’s Alejandro, Orta explained, “We conduct a technical, economic, suitability, and adaptability evaluation. The decision is made by the sporting director, the president, and the coach. We decided that Akor could contribute more from the start, and that was the decision, laying everything on the table.”