Ahmed Musa
Former Super Eagles stars Justice Christopher and Victor Ezeji have urged Ahmed Musa to quit Leicester City in January as the winger has found game time limited at the King Power Stadium.
Musa, who joined the Foxes from CSKA Moscow for a club record £19.5m in 2016, has appeared just once for the former Premier League champions, a second round Carabao Cup tie against Championship side Sheffield United, in which he scored.
The Super Eagles forward had been linked with a move to Hull City – where he would have reunited with his former CSKA Moscow manager Leonid Slutsky – the summer – but a transfer failed to come to fruition.
However, there are rumours that he might return to former club CSKA Moscow, while Aston Villa are also interested in the player.
Christopher and Ezeji say continued exclusion from the Leicester first team may affect his chances of making the Russia 2018 World Cup squad.
“I don’t think he should stay in Leicester if he wants to be part of the trip to Russia; it’s clear he doesn’t have a place there,” Christopher, who represented Nigeria at the Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup, said. “Football is played everywhere, are other players in the national team playing in England?
“What is happening to him happened to a big player like (Andrei) Schevchenko at Chelsea, it happens to players. But Musa has limited time ahead of the World Cup and needs a quick move to resurrect his career. Nigerians are not happy that he’s not playing. I think he should try his luck elsewhere.”
Ezeji buttressed Christopher’s point saying, “He should get a new club because when a new coach comes in and also sidelines you, it means you have to look elsewhere. No coach will buy you in January and don’t use you.”
But former Flying Eagles defender Kayode Julius wants the 25-year-old Musa, who scored two goals against Argentina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, to fight for his place at the King Power Stadium.
“I advise Musa to remain with Leicester and fight for his place as a professional. If he gets to a new club, he may have to start afresh,” the ex-Julius Berger star said.
“Most of the other Eagles players are playing regularly for their clubs but Musa isn’t even playing for his club. The games he has appeared recently for the Eagles, he came on from the bench, which is not good for a player of his calibre.