Linked with £50m Liverpool move, is Newcastle’s Wilfred Ndidi error proving costly?

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A year after Leicester City beat Newcastle United to Wilfred Ndidi, Premier League giants Liverpool are reportedly considering a move.

Back in November 2016, Newcastle United were keen on a little known midfielder by the name of Wilfred Ndidi.

The young Nigerian had been turning heads in Belgium with Genk and, according to the Chronicle, the Magpies were willing to pay £8 million to bring him to St James’ Park.

Flash forward to the present day, however, and Ndidi is starring in England’s top flight, although with Leicester City rather than Newcastle.

The Foxes won the race to sign N’Golo Kante’s successor in January 2017, paying £15 million to blow Newcastle out of the water. Yet once again, Magpies fans might be ruing owner Mike Ashley’s apparent reluctance to pay top dollar in the transfer market.

Because, according to Nigerian paper the New Telegraph, Ndidi is rated at £50 million these days.

It is understood that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wants a more defensively minded midfielder with doubts surrounding the future of the out-of-contract Emre Can and club captain Jordan Henderson missing much of the campaign through injury.

And, in today’s market, £50 million for Ndidi is not overly ridiculous. He has averaged more tackles per game than any other player in England’s top flight after all and would offer Liverpool the kind of midfield protection they have been missing since Javier Mascherano left for Barcelona in 2010.

But while Leicester can expect to make a huge profit on their key man, Newcastle will surely be regretting not matching the Foxes’ offer a year ago.

Not just because Ndidi could now cost £35 million more but because he has developed into a fantastic defensive midfielder.