Football League World
·28 May 2024
Football League World
·28 May 2024
Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is in talks with Lyon about joining the French side on a free transfer when his deal at the King Power Stadium expires this summer.
The 27-year-old joined the Foxes in January 2017, and he has gone on to make over 250 appearances for the club, which includes playing his part as they memorably won the FA Cup.
However, with his contract running down, there are doubts over Ndidi’s future at Leicester, even though he played a starring role for Enzo Maresca’s side as they won the Championship title.
As you would expect, the Nigeria international has attracted attention as an upcoming free agent, and it has been claimed in the past that Turkish giants Galatasaray are keeping tabs on the player.
Plus, the prospect of staying at Leicester may appeal now they have sealed a return to the Premier League.
But, it seems as though Ndidi could be on the move to France, as journalist Santi Aouna has revealed that Lyon have ‘accelerated’ talks to sign the midfielder as they continue talks with his representatives.
The appeal of moving to Lyon is obvious, and they will also be playing in the Europa League next season as well, after a remarkable final few months of the campaign that saw them rapidly climb the table.
Of course, this is out of Leicester’s hands, as Ndidi is out of contract, so he is going to decide his next move, but there’s no denying that this will be a blow for the Midlands outfit.
Ndidi has been a key player for the club over the years, even if he did drop off and lose form in the year they were relegated.
He was transformed under Maresca though, with the Italian giving him more attacking freedom, and Ndidi was a big part of this classy Leicester side that won the league.
Even with Maresca departing for Chelsea, you can be sure that the new manager would be keen on keeping Ndidi, but these things happen in football and his contribution to the club over the past seven-and-a-half years will certainly be appreciated by many connected to Leicester.
If Ndidi does move on, it will give the club another headache ahead of what is going to be a very busy summer.
The immediate priority is bringing in a replacement for Maresca, and then there will be a lot of work required on the squad, whilst they also have to deal with PSR issues.
There is a fear that the club will be hit with a big points deduction, and more sales could be on the cards ahead of June 30.
So, it’s a tough period for Leicester following their promotion, but there will be a belief that they can get things right, and it will be intriguing to see how the team looks come August, when the new Premier League season will start.