Leicester City midfielder Wilfried Ndidi is subject to interest from Galatasaray ahead of the January transfer window.
According to Fanatik, the Turkish giants want to terminate the loan of Tottenham Hotspur flop Tanguy Ndombele and replace him with Leicester’s midfield powerhouse.
With Ndidi’s contract expiring in the summer, Enzo Maresca has a huge decision to make on his future. He can either offer him a new deal, sell him for a sizeable fee or let him depart on a free transfer in June.
The Foxes will be keen to avoid the final option so it looks increasingly likely that the 26-year-old will depart next month unless the club come to a different agreement.
Galatasaray did want the Nigerian in the summer, however, both clubs were unable to agree on a fee which meant Ndidi remained at the King Power Stadium and has since established himself as an important player in Maresca’s squad.
How has Wilfried Ndidi performed this season?
Under previous managers, Ndidi was utilised as a ball-winning midfielder, who used his defensive and physical attributes to act as a screen in front of the Leicester back line.
Since the arrival of Maresca, whose tactical ingenuity has taken the Championship by storm, the £75k-a-week star has been used as a number eight, patrolling up and down the field while making an impact in the final third.
With more attacking responsibility, Ndidi’s piercing runs into the box have seen him chalk up three goals and five assists in 18 appearances this term – his highest total in a single campaign in a Leicester shirt.
The above statistics underscore the impact that the former Manchester City assistant has had on the midfield goliath, as does his rankings across the squad for various attacking metrics.
Ndidi places joint second for most assists in the Championship for Leicester (4), joint third for big chances created (4) and joint top for penalties won (1), as per Sofascore.
Should Leicester City sell Ndidi?
Although he is a fundamental part of Maresca’s system having formed an indispensable midfield trio with Harry Winks and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, now could be the time to cash in on Ndidi.
He was keen on leaving the club in the summer and very nearly joined Nottingham Forest on deadline day but a deal fell through as the Reds signed PSV’s Ibrahim Sangare instead.
Given his talent and age, the Foxes can ill-afford to lose him on a free transfer next summer, so the best course of action would be to pocket a sizeable fee in January.
With Galatasaray in the Champions League, the allure of playing in Europe’s elite competition could drive him away from the King Power.