Celtic Set Kelechi Iheanacho Contract Talks Timeline

Kelechi Iheanacho’s future at Celtic looks set to be decided quickly once Saturday’s title decider against Hearts is out of the way.

The striker has become one of the biggest talking points around the club over the last week after his dramatic impact off the bench at Fir Park.

With Celtic heading towards a damaging draw against Motherwell, Iheanacho stepped up deep into stoppage time and buried the pressure penalty that kept the title race alive heading into the final day.

It was another reminder of the quality he still carries around the box.

The Nigerian forward has had a stop-start season since arriving at Celtic last summer. Injuries disrupted his rhythm early on and there were periods where it looked difficult for him to build momentum inside the squad.

But over the closing weeks, his role has started to grow.

Martin O’Neill has trusted him more often from the bench during tight games and the striker has begun delivering moments that matter. His movement around the area has looked sharper and physically he seems far closer to full condition than earlier in the campaign.

Celtic hold the option of extending Iheanacho’s contract by another year beyond this summer and discussion around that decision has naturally increased after Wednesday night.

For now though, the player himself only seems interested in one thing.

Saturday comes first.

Iheanacho briefly addressed his future when asked about his situation before the final game of the season against Hearts.

He said: (TCW), “I think after 90 minutes on Saturday, then we’ll talk about that.”

That answer probably tells supporters everything they need to know about the current mood inside the dressing room.

Nobody at Celtic is thinking beyond the weekend yet.

The equation is simple now after the chaos at Fir Park. Beat Hearts at Celtic Park and the title stays in Glasgow’s east end.

That pressure also changes the role of players like Iheanacho.

In matches like this, squads matter more than starting line-ups. Celtic have needed goals late in games repeatedly over the last month and Iheanacho suddenly looks like one of the few forwards capable of producing calm moments inside complete chaos.

His penalty against Motherwell was not just technically good.

The situation itself mattered. Ninety-seven minutes gone. Season on the line. No room for hesitation.

He barely blinked.

If Celtic do go on to win the title this weekend, that moment at Fir Park will be replayed for a long time. And it may also end up shaping the club’s decision over whether Iheanacho stays beyond the summer.