Arsenal and Manchester United are among four clubs reportedly interested in a summer move for Leicester City star Wilfred Ndidi, labeled as the new N’Golo Kante.
Daily Mirror are claiming that Leicester City may be in danger of losing their latest midfield engine, Wilfred Ndidi with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Southampton and Hamburg all showing an interest in the Foxes star, who is looking more and more like the perfect replacement for N’Golo Kante.
Leicester City have been withering ever since they lost N’Golo Kante to Chelsea last summer. It is only now that they have started some sort of a re-rise towards the upper echelons of the Premier League, thanks to their new star, Wilfred Ndidi, who was bought by the Foxes as a potential replacement for the tireless Frenchman.
But, the Foxes now fear that they may be losing Kante’s replacement as well in the summer, with the four clubs vying for his signature. Arsenal and Manchester United especially, are in need of midfield reinforcements and could come in for Ndidi in the summer.
Arsenal have a lack of quality options in the pivot position or players who can perform consistently in the holding midfield. The pairing of Francis Coquelin and Granit Xhaka, which was seen in the start as the future holding midfield pair for Arsenal, have been exposed quite often.
Leicester are worried Arsenal and Manchester United will go in for Wilfred Ndidi this summer. (Source: Daily Mirror) pic.twitter.com/JlXX7Fv0CG
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 3, 2017
The Gunners were performing ably when Santi Cazorla was starting. But, the Spaniard’s injury has forced Wenger’s hand and the duo have looked ordinary, especially in the big games and Wenger doesn’t have particularly impressive options to come in from the bench either.
Manchester United, on the other hand, is also looking for a holding midfielder to partner Paul Pogba in the midfield. It was reported that Jose Mourinho let Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin leave because the Portuguese wants a pure holding midfielder in the mould of N’Golo Kante.
Arsenal and Manchester United were both rumored to be in the running for Kante last summer. But, the duo faced defeat at the hands of Chelsea. In fact, it was reported that Jose Mourinho had specifically named Kante as the one signing he wanted, to Ed Woodward.
Arsenal were linked with Ndidi last summer and while the 20-year-old rejected their advances back then, the Gunners are unlikely to be deterred by it and Ndidi might rethink his stance, depending on the role he is assured at the Emirates.
Shakespeare lauded Ndidi on the day and Leicester City’s recruitment staff for scouting the player early on. The player has slowly become a regular for the Foxes and his presence in the midfield has proven to be the catalyst for Foxes’ current form.
Stoke City’s Goalkeeper: Ndidi, what is the meaning of “Keeper no dey catch goal”?
Wilfred Ndidi: pic.twitter.com/Tg2cfvAVRG
— Soccer Nation (@SoccerNationNg) April 3, 2017
Ndidi scored his second goal of his Leicester career against Stoke City on the weekend and it seems like the 20-year-old is starting to step up and take his performances up a notch.
He is contracted to Leicester till 2022 and given the fact that the player was brought in by the Foxes in January in a big money move, the club is unlikely to let him go for cheap, if at all.
Arsenal and Manchester United, especially, can be very persuasive in their pursuit of players and the same could end up being the case for Ndidi. We shall have to wait till summer to see whether the clubs come in with an offer and whether they are able to persuade Ndidi to join either of them.
