Wilfred Ndidi has issued a blunt response to those Aston Villa links, telling The Mercury that he is happy and settled at Premier League rivals Leicester City.
If Steven Gerrard is intent on bringing in a defensive midfielder with top-flight experience during the upcoming transfer window, then the Villa boss should prepare himself for a long and difficult summer.
Brighton and Hove Albion have shown no intention of lowering Yves Bissouma’s £45 million price-tag. Even as the Mali maestro closes in on his final 12 months at the Amex.
Ndidi, in contract, is tied down until 2024.
Leicester may have made selling star players an annual tradition in summers gone by. But it seems highly unlikely that Ndidi will be going the way of Ben Chilwell, N’Golo Kante, Danny Drinkwater and Riyad Mahrez.
Especially with Nampalys Mendy, one of Ndidi’s back-ups, on his way out the door.
“I am enjoying myself in Leicester,” says the Nigeria international, who tops the Premier League statistics for interceptions per game (2.6).
“My family is here. My business degree is on hold after my daughter was born.”
Will Leicester City block any Aston Villa approach?
The Daily Star reports that Ndidi has joined Bissouma on Gerrard’s summer wishlist. The Aston Villa boss has a budget of around £50 million to spend on a new ‘number six’.
But, when discussing how much it would take to lure Ndidi away from Leicester, manager Brendan Rodgers wasted little time in making it clear that the former Genk ace is ‘worth much more’ than £50 million.
“He’s been a really important player in my time here,” Rodgers adds of a man who joined for a bargain £15 million five years ago and has gone on to become, in the eyes of some, a genuinely ‘world-class‘ operator.
“You see the importance I give to him in the team. It’s a young team at the moment. His experience helps the players. Wherever I ask him to play, he gives us a great physicality.
“There are still areas he can improve on.
“He seems very settled. He’s moved into a new house (and) seems very happy. He’s a pleasure to work with. We hope he’ll be here for a few years.”
Whoever arrives at Villa Park this summer, be it Bissouma, Ndidi or someone else, will be expected to do a better job in the defensive midfield role than Douglas Luiz did in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United.
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