Leicester City reject €7m Besiktas bid for Wilfred Ndidi amid transfer speculation

By Dayo Awoniyi

Leicester City have rejected a €7 million bid from Turkish giants Besiktas for Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, signalling their reluctance to part with one of their most experienced and influential players.

Despite the Foxes’ relegation from the Premier League last season, the 28-year-old Super Eagles star continues to attract significant interest across Europe.

He has been linked with clubs including Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Juventus, Fenerbahce, and teams from the Saudi Pro League. However, Besiktas are the first to make a formal offer.

According to Turkish outlet Takvim, the Black Eagles submitted a €7 million proposal—an offer Leicester swiftly turned down. The bid reportedly falls short of Ndidi’s €15 million Transfermarkt valuation and is €2 million below a €9 million release clause that became active following Leicester’s drop to the Championship.

Ndidi, who has two years remaining on his contract, has yet to push for a move despite the activated clause and mounting speculation over his future. In fact, the Nigerian international has featured prominently in Leicester’s pre-season preparations, suggesting a strong level of commitment to the club.

With club icon Jamie Vardy now departed, Ndidi has emerged as Leicester’s most senior player—an evolving leadership role he appears to be embracing. His dedication in training and consistency during pre-season fixtures reflect a player not distracted by transfer rumours, but rather focused on helping guide the Foxes back to the Premier League.

For now, while the speculation surrounding his future continues, Ndidi is quietly leading by example—perhaps laying the foundation not for a transfer, but for a promotion campaign.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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