Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has reportedly added Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi to his two-man midfield shortlist.
The Lions had a busy January transfer window, adding the likes of Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho to their squad. And they are planning to spend big during the summer transfer window, as Steven Gerrard looks to shape his squad further.
According to The Daily Star, Aston Villa are set to launch the offensive for Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi when the transfer window reopens. The club will hand Steven Gerrard £50m to spend on a high-quality defensive midfielder in the summer. Brighton star Yves Bissouma is also on the Villa boss’s priority list, the report adds.
Ndidi, 25, has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders in recent years. Since his move to Leicester City from Belgian club Genk in January 2017, the Nigerian international has notched up 199 competitive appearances for the club, helping the Foxes win the FA Cup last season.
The 25-year-old defensive midfielder has been a mainstay in Brendan Rodgers’ side over the last couple of seasons, and his exploits have not gone unnoticed, with Aston Villa setting their sights on him.
Wilfred Ndidi to Aston Villa—A smashing move?
The interest from Aston Villa for Wilfred Ndidi stems from the uncertainties surrounding the future of John McGinn and Douglas Luiz. While McGinn has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, Luiz is firmly on the radar of Arsenal and the north Londoners could come calling again in the summer after seeing a January bid rejected.
Ndidi, thus, is a viable target for the Villans. He has been a crucial cog in Rodgers’ side in the last few campaigns as the 25-year-old is usually quick to sense the danger and make vital interceptions. The Nigerian international is physically strong, a good distributor of the ball and tenacious in tackling.
He can have lapses in concentration and make wrong decisions while reading the game but possesses a good recovery pace to win back the ball for his team. Ndidi is a tough-tackling and robust midfielder who can bring solidity to the Aston Villa midfield. The Nigerian would be perfect in shielding the Villa backline, whilst being an immediate upgrade over Marvelous Nakamba.
The Seagulls star will bring a lot of quality to Aston Villa’s midfield unit as well as add competition within the squad. Ndidi’s ability to fill in at centre-back when required adds more value to his name. The ex-Genk man ticks all the right boxes in terms of what Steven Gerrard wants from his central midfielders.
All in all, Villa must flex their financial muscle and pull off a sensational summer swoop for Wilfred Ndidi.
