27-year-old Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is starting to shine in a very different role within Leicester City’s midfield. City’s new boss, Enzo Maresca, has opted to promote Ndidi from a holding defensive midfielder to a forward-thinking number ten. Ndidi’s new position in the team has played an important part in the Foxes’ domination in the English second tier this season.
Leicester have led the way at the top of the EFL Championship for many weeks now, with Maresca’s side enjoying a record-breaking start to the 2023/24 campaign. The Foxes are the media darlings of the division, attracting broadcast coverage of almost every Championship game they play right now. This makes it easier for Nigerians to not only watch the likes of Ndidi play but to also place wagers on them in the live betting markets, which are dynamic and react to what’s happening in play.
Kudos to Maresca for unleashing Ndidi’s forward-thinking potential
Maresca recently admitted he had seen more creative flair in Ndidi during training sessions. It’s paid off, with the Lagos-born midfielder racking up five assists and four goals so far this term. Harry Winks is the midfielder who’s dropped into the holding midfield anchor role. Ndidi now operates on the right side of the three-man midfield. Although Ndidi is critical to the dynamism of Leicester’s midfield, the opening of the January transfer window poses a threat to City’s title hopes.
Ndidi’s Leicester contract expires at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. Furthermore, Ndidi is highly likely to be included in the Super Eagles’ 2024 AFCON squad in the New Year. This would result in him missing at least three or four league games. Leicester and Maresca have a genuine puzzle to solve. Do they keep Ndidi, accept he’ll miss games for the AFCON, and use him from February onwards? Or do they sell in January to get some transfer value?
Ndidi is highly unlikely to sign a new contract at the King Power Stadium as he seeks a fresh challenge next summer. Spanish giants Barcelona are still reportedly readying an approach in January. Barcelona is in the market for a versatile midfielder, and the tight financial restrictions imposed on the Catalan side mean Ndidi looks a value pick. The likes of Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich and Real Sociedad ace Martin Zubimendi are expected to be too expensive for Barca to buy in January. Fellow La Liga outfit Sevilla and Italian powerhouse Juventus are also said to be monitoring Ndidi.
Who could the Foxes replace Ndidi with?
Ndidi’s absence from the Leicester team was felt in November. When missing through injury, the Foxes lost back-to-back games against Leeds and Middlesbrough with him on the sidelines. It’s no secret that they’ve had an uptick in form since his return. However, if the Foxes can sell for £10m+ and reinvest that sum in a younger prospect on a long-term contract, it could make commercial sense. City may even lose both of their Nigerian talents, with Kelechi Iheanacho alsosaid to be a target of Premier League outfits.
In recent weeks, Leicester have been linked with Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill, who has struggled for game time since the Clarets’ promotion to the Premier League. Meanwhile, Huddersfield Town’s midfield powerhouse, Brahima Diarra, is likely to be sold in January, with Leicester a credible destination for the 20-year-old Mali U23 international. Diarra would tick a lot of boxes as he has similar attributes to Ndidi, including exceptional work rate, goalscoring ability and immense ball carrying.
Ndidi himself spoke of how “pleased” he is in his new role at Leicester. Whether it will be enough to convince him to stay with the East Midlands club remains to be seen. A switch to Barcelona – or even Sevilla or Juventus – would be a career-defining move.
