Nigeria Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi was once a colossus of the Premier League, with so much said about his prowess that Manchester United were in the hunt for him. The former Genk midfielder joined Leicester City in 2017 for £17 million following the departure of Ngolo Kante to Chelsea.
Such humongous boots to fill, yet he was unperturbed and did the business for the Foxes. Ndidi might not have reached the heights of the French midfielder Kante in the colours of the Foxes, but he has contributed decently to the achievements made by Leicester City.
Chelsea’s Casadei joins Ndidi at Leicester
Since Mauricio Pochettino joined Chelsea in the summer, there has been a high octane of activity at the West London club. Recent reports suggest that 20-year-old Blues midfielder Cesare Casadei, who joined Chelsea a year ago, has signed for the Foxes on a season-long loan move.
Casadei is a talented midfielder and earned the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards for Italy at the Under-20 World Cup. Casadei, who joined the Blues from Inter Milan, spent the second half of last season on loan at Reading, where he made 15 appearances for the Championship side, scoring one goal.
Despite his consistency with the Royals, the young Italian midfielder could not save the Royals from relegation. The highly regarded Casadei will continue his football development at Leicester City as he becomes the seventh Chelsea player to be farmed out on loan this summer.
What does the arrival of Casadei mean for Ndidi?
Ordinarily, the arrival of a 20-year-old rookie should not be a source of worry for a talented veteran like Wilfred Ndidi. However, the times are no longer normal, as Leicester City should not even be plying their trade in the Championship.
Things have fallen apart, and Ndidi is no longer the player we know. The 26-year-old defensive midfielder has struggled for form in recent seasons, with injury the bane of his Leicester career.
The arrival of Casadei could pose some nutty problems for Ndidi as Casadei is a versatile midfielder who can play as an attacking midfielder and also in the holding role. The Italian, who captained the Italy Under-20 team to a runners-up position at the World Cup, is also a two-footed player – a quality the Foxes manager would appreciate.
While Casadei is good depth for the Foxes and has Championship experience, Ndidi has a battle on his hands and would need to buckle up if he stays.
The arrival of Casadei could also mean that Leicester City intends to sell Ndidi, as his €91,000 salary could pose problems for Leicester City. It would not be surprising to see Ndidi leave the Foxes, as Nottingham Forest, Osimhen's Napoli, and clubs from Saudi showed interest in the midfielder.
How did Ndidi fare in Leicester vs Coventry?
The former Genk player tasted life in the Championship as Leicester City took on Coventry City. Leicester City needed to win their first game of the season and secured a hard-fought 2-1 home win.
Ndidi played in a midfield three of a 4-3-3 formation that included Harry Winks and Drewsbury-Hall. The Super Eagles star had a decent game, as he was the aggressor in higher areas off the ball. Dennis Praet came on for Ndidi in the 62nd minute.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
