By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Ben Jacobs’ latest report indicates that Wilfred Ndidi is still expected to leave Leicester City this summer, with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen the newest club to express interest.
A potential move would reunite the Nigerian international with compatriots Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella.
Premier League clubs West Ham United and Manchester United have both shown strong interest in the midfielder.
While West Ham are monitoring the situation, Manchester United have reportedly taken things further—holding preliminary talks with Ndidi’s representatives and discussing personal terms.
However, United’s current priority remains the acquisition of a striker.
Ndidi is available for a cut-price fee of around £9 million due to a release clause in his recent contract extension following Leicester’s promotion.
However, any move to Leverkusen is contingent on the departure of an existing midfielder from the BayArena.
Other clubs also remain in the picture. Everton and two unnamed Premier League sides have made enquiries, while Real Betis, Juventus, and several Saudi Arabian clubs have also been in contact.
Ndidi, for his part, is reluctant to remain in the Championship and is keen on a top-flight return.
Leicester City, despite renewing his contract last season, are open to selling the 27-year-old as the transfer window progresses. Ndidi’s situation is one to closely monitor in the coming weeks.
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.
