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Ndidi
WILFRED Ndidi has turned down a chance to become Aston Villa’s most expensive player in history after revealing he is happy at Leicester City amid reports linking him with a £50m switch to Villa Park in the summer, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Steven Gerrard’s side are reportedly willing to pay £50m for the Nigeria international at the end of this season, according to the Daily Star.
The Villans are keen on adding a defensive midfielder to their ranks and have also been linked with a move for Brighton’s Yves Bissouma.
Ndidi has made 23 appearances, scoring once this season for the Foxes.
While speaking ahead of Thursday’s (today) home clash with Danish side Randers, the first leg of a Europa Conference League play-off from which the winners will advance to the last 16, the former Genk midfielder said, “At the moment, I am enjoying myself in Leicester,” after he was asked whether he was settled in the city.
“My family is here. My business degree is on hold. There was lockdown, and then my daughter was born. But I’m looking forward to it maybe next year.”
Should the move materialise in the summer, Ndidi will become Aston Villa’s most expensive player in the history of the club.
Aston Villa had splashed £34.56m on Emiliano Buendia, signing him from Norwich last year, the highest they’ve ever paid for a player.
Ndidi, who looks set for his 200th appearance against Randers, is worth more than the £50m Aston Villa are reportedly willing to offer, according to Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers.
“He’s worth much more than that. It’s both of those things – it’s how it works,” Rodgers said.
“A player of that quality and mentality, of course, you want to always keep, but when you have that player, he will always attract interest.
“But he seems very settled here. I know he’s moved into a new house and he seems very, very happy. He’s a pleasure to work with and hopefully, he can be around the club for many years.”
The 25-year-old Foxes midfielder has two years left on his current Leicester deal and admits the players must work hard to end their stuttering form.
Leicester, who are on a five-match winless run in all competitions, are placed 11th in the topflight after fifth-placed finishes in the last two seasons.
“We as players know what we want, for the club, as players, so I think it’s just that concentration of where you are now, to look forward to those achievements that you want.
“I think it’s just a wake-up call for us, for us to concentrate more on our games. At this moment, we needed it. He (Rodgers) is always there for us. I think we needed it.”
