MX23RW : Monday, November 18 10:34:49| >> :120:37661:37661:

Barcelona 'remain interested in Leicester City's Wilfred Ndidi'

Barcelona 'remain interested in Leicester's Wilfred Ndidi'
© Reuters
Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who is out of contract next June, allegedly remains a leading target for Barcelona.

Barcelona are reportedly still interested in signing Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.

The Nigeria international only has a contract with Leicester until next June and is not expected to pen an extension at the King Power Stadium, even if the Foxes are successful in returning to the Premier League.

Barcelona are said to be long-term admirers of the 26-year-old, and according to Sport, a move for the midfielder in 2024 cannot be ruled out.

The report claims that 'there is a lot of competition' for Ndidi, but the Catalan outfit are confident that they would be able to convince him to make the move to Camp Nou.

Barcelona have also been linked with moves for the likes of Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi and Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich, but it is understood that neither will be possible next year due to their valuations.

Leicester City's Wilfred Ndidi in action with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah on December 21, 2021© Reuters

Xavi's side are hoping to sign both Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix on permanent deals from Manchester City and Atletico Madrid respectively, meanwhile, meaning that there is unlikely to be money in the budget for a new central midfielder.

Barcelona are said to have been interested in purchasing Ndidi in 2022 but were told that they would have to come up with a fee of €60m (£51.4m) in order to sign him.

Juventus and Sevilla are two of the other clubs said to be looking to sign the midfielder, who will be able to speak to foreign clubs over a pre-contract at the start of 2024.

Ndidi has been a vital player for Leicester during the 2023-24 campaign, scoring three goals and registering five assists in 18 appearances in all competitions.

Wilfred Ndidi warms up for Leicester City in November 2021© Reuters

The midfielder made the move to Leicester from Genk in January 2017, and he has represented his current side on 255 occasions, scoring 14 goals and registering 17 assists in the process.

Ndidi has gained Champions League experience during his time with the Foxes, featuring on four occasions in the competition, while he has also played in the Europa League and Europa Conference League.

The Nigerian was widely expected to leave Leicester over the summer following their relegation to the Championship, but he remained at the King Power Stadium past the transfer deadline.

Barcelona will be without the services of Gavi for the remainder of the season due to a serious knee injury, but Xavi still has plenty of midfield options in the shape of Pedri, Oriol Romeu, Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan and Fermin Lopez.

Youngsters Marc Casado, Aleix Garrido, Angel Alarcon and Unai Hernandez have also been in and around the first team during the 2023-24 campaign.

ID:530958:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6221:

Click here for more stories about Joshua Kimmich

Click here for more stories about Manchester City

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Real Sociedad midfielder Brais Mendez on October 27, 2023
Read Next:
Barcelona 'could move for Real Sociedad's Mendez in January'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea115422113819
4Arsenal115421812619
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest115421510519
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton115421915419
7Fulham115331613318
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Aston Villa115331717018
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
11Brentford115152222016
12Bournemouth114341515015
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Leicester CityLeicester112451421-710
16Everton112451017-710
17Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
18Crystal Palace11146815-77
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves111371627-116
20Southampton11119721-144


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!