Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie is not surprised by the speculated Premier League interest in Super Eagles and Leicester City star Wilfred Ndidi despite his relegation to the EFL Championship with the Foxes last season, Footynaija.com reports.
Since joining Leicester City from Belgian Pro League side KRC Genk back in 2017, Ndidi has steadily built a reputation for himself as one of the more reliable midfield personnels in English football.
During his earlier years in England, the Nigeria international was often so impressive in the middle of the park that several other top sides in the Premier League including Manchester United were credited with concrete interest in securing his services.
Several years down the line and despite being unable to help Leicester City avoid relegation from the English top-flight last season, the 28-year-old is still being courted by top Premier League sides – a testament to undeniable quality.
Lee Hendrie, a former professional footballer cum pundit, believes that with Ndidi’s ability to operate in several roles in the middle of the park, it shouldn’t be surprising that Premier League teams still want him.
What Lee Hendrie said about Wilfred Ndidi
“It was only a few seasons back where we were really highlighting how important Wilfred Ndidi was for Leicester and what he did and brought to that Leicester side,” he said in an interview with Football League World.
“I think he’s played in different roles over the last couple of seasons, where he’s been able to play a little bit more advanced. So he showed that he’s got the versatility of sitting and going and joining in, where he can be a force. He’s a big physical man.
“Obviously, he’s being linked with the likes of Everton and Manchester United, but I do feel, and I will say this: teams that get relegated, unfortunately, your bigger players, your key players, your more influential players will always get linked away.
“That’s the disappointment for Leicester, but, yes, I still think there’s a lot more to come from Wilf Ndidi because I don’t feel that he matched the heights of what he was a good few seasons back, where he was highly regarded. He’s a versatile midfielder, and there’s no surprise that clubs are looking at him.”
Ndidi currently has an active relegation release clause that makes him available for a cut-price fee of just £9m. So for interested clubs, prying the Nigerian off the hands of Leicester City should be pretty straightforward business.