Leicester City pulled off a coup when they signed Kante 2.0 – but how long will he stay with Manchester United and Arsenal linked?
If Chelsea’s Premier League rivals are crying out for their own N’Golo Kante, where better to start their search than with the player signed to replace him at Leicester City?
Wilfred Ndidi may be just 20 years of age, he may have only arrived at the King Power from Genk in January, but he has already caught the eye of Manchester United and Arsenal, the Daily Mirror reports.
And although Kante’s rangy heir has a long way to go to match his indomitable reign over midfield battles, Ndidi clearly has the potential and skillset to develop into one of the Premier League’s most effective performers.
After all, the £17 million youngster (Daily Mirror) has taken only a few weeks to demonstrate a surprisingly wide-ranging skillset.
From that tenacious, hassling performance in Leicester’s 3-1 hammering of Liverpool to his long-range thunderbolt against Stoke City, Ndidi appears more a box-to-box enforcer than another Claude Makelele clone.
Therefore, he would appear to be an excellent addition to an Arsenal or Manchester United midfield lacking in real presence.
And while Tottenham Hotspur, blessed with Victor Wanyama (below), Moussa Dembele and Eric Dier, are hardly lacking in neither grit nor guile, they would not want their rivals to strengthen a key department ahead of another dramatic title tussle next season.
According to Het Laatse Nieuws, Spurs were one of many clubs to send scouts to watch Ndidi back in August with West Ham, West Brom, Middlesbrough and Chelsea also reportedly interested.
And, although his transfer fee would have rocketed again after a fine start to life in the Premier League with Leicester, you wonder whether Mauricio Pochettino will consider adding more strength in depth to a squad that has struggled to balance domestic and European competition in recent seasons.
Ndidi is somewhat similar to the options already at Spurs’ disposal but the prospect of him shoring up the Arsenal midfield doesn’t bare thinking about.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
