Leicester City and Newcastle United could go head-to-head over Genk midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.
Genk midfielder Wilfred Ndidi
Genk star Wilfred Ndidi has told Belgian newspaper Het Belang Van Limberg that he doesn’t know whether he’ll be with the club in January – which should be music to the ears of Newcastle.
Ndidi, 19, has starred for Belgian side Genk since joining the club in 2015, and he’s already picked up two caps for the Nigerian national team.
Primarily a defensive midfielder who can also fill in at centre back, Ndidi has impressed with his physicality and work rate in front of the Genk defence, and his performances have triggered major interest.
The Chronicle recently reported that Newcastle United are keen to lodge a January bid for Ndidi, whilst The Mirror claimed this week that Leicester City are to make a £16m move for the 6ft 2in midfielder in 2017 as they look to replace N’Golo Kante.
Wilfred Ndidi
This week, Ndidi spoke to Belgian newspaper Het Belang Van Limberg about his future, and offered a non-committal response, as he said “I do not know” when asked whether he’ll still be with Genk in January.
Those comments should be music to the ears of Newcastle United, who will be looking to land signings in January with a view to them making an impression in the Premier League – and Ndidi fits the bill perfectly.
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez shakes hands with Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri
It was claimed that Newcastle have money to spend in January, and with Cheick Tiote likely to leave the club, a powerful defensive midfielder could be on Benitez’s radar, with Ndidi again ideal for what Newcastle are looking for.
The alleged £16m bid from Leicester – who can also offer Champions League football – is a real hit to Newcastle’s hopes of landing Ndidi, but the Magpies are upwardly mobile under Rafael Benitez, and having raided Belgian football for the likes of Matz Sels, Chancel Mbemba and Aleksandar Mitrovic over the last 18 months, they should look to do it again with a move for Ndidi.
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