Iwobi to City, Iheanacho to Arsenal would work

It was said in jest, and is a highly unlikely move, but the Nigerian wonderkids would benefit from swapping clubs

In the time-worn tradition of tantalizing what-ifs, the prospect of Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho swapping clubs was born of a bit of kidding around. Yet, the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. As a matter of fact, it would not be a huge stretch to state it would be perhaps the best move for both players.

The rise of Iwobi at Arsenal is well-documented.

He flowered in the carefree expressionism that has come to define and frequently undermine the Gunners last season, but has found the going a little less rosy this term.

The prospect of dropping out of England’s Champions League places for the first time in Arsene Wenger’s reign is a very real one, and the volatile, toxic environment swirling around the Emirates these days have seen even established stalwarts like Mesut Ozil and Petr Cech struggle to perform at expected levels.

Iheanacho, feted as the Crown Prince of the Etihad, and the sole shining light of a damp squib of a season last time out, has seen his relevance at Manchester City nosedive alarmingly. The appointment of Pep Guardiola was supposed to be the catalyst for the next phase of his development. It has instead precipitated a great freeze, as the former Barcelona manager has increasingly given him the cold shoulder.

The arrival of Brazil international Gabriel Jesus has further complicated an already intractable situation.

And yet, in the case of both players, we are clearly dealing with highly talented individuals. Iheanacho’s shot conversion numbers remain freakishly good, while Iwobi has lost none of his twinkle-toed precocity. It is instead the details of their station that have altered amidst the chaos of the current Premier League season.

It is, as Iwobi himself admitted, virtually impossible, but you could envision the Arsenal man as one of Guardiola’s “free 8s”, playing in the same fashion and role as the duo of David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne have this season. His technical security, allied to his calm decision-making in tight spaces make him a perfect fit for Guardiola’s City project, and a more central role redresses his lack of defensive awareness in wide areas where he is expected to track an advancing full-back.