By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is on the verge of completing a permanent transfer to Turkish giants Besiktas, bringing an end to his eight-year stint at Leicester City.
According to Football Afrik, Besiktas have reached an agreement with Leicester to sign the Nigerian international, with the Turkish club reportedly activating the £9 million release clause in Ndidi’s contract.
The 29-year-old is expected to travel to Istanbul this week to undergo a medical and finalize personal terms. He is set to sign a three-year deal with an option for an additional year.
Besiktas, now managed by former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær, are looking to bolster their midfield options ahead of the 2024/25 Super Lig campaign.
Ndidi joined Leicester City in January 2017 from Belgian side Genk and played a key role in the club’s domestic and European campaigns, including their 2021 FA Cup triumph.
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.
