Such is the remarkable progress Wilfred Ndidi has achieved in the last few years that he is today rated among the Top 5 most expensive defensive midfielders in the world with a handsome price tag of 60 Million Euros.
It is a huge jump of 10 Million Euros from the last update by the transfer market.
The CIES Football Observatory ranked Ndidi the 13th best player in the world for the first quarter of 2021.
Former England star Trevor Sinclair was full of praise for the midfielder.
“I actually looked at Ndidi and thought there are not many better than him in the Premier League and probably in Europe,” Sinclair saluted after Leicester City dumped Manchester United to reach the FA Cup semifinal.
“Really good player very probably underrated, undervalued. But I wouldn’t have thought he’s undervalued by Brendan (Rodgers) and his team-mates because I’m sure they appreciate everything that he brings to that team. He makes them tick.”
Injury last season meant the Leicester City enforcer played fewer games than the previous season – 26 games and scored a goal.
But there was still no denying his class as ‘The Foxes’ struggled during his absence and this will eventually work against their aspiration to feature in the UEFA Champions League as they again dropped out in the closing weeks of the past season.
A historic FA Cup triumph by Leicester City will most certainly be a big consolation for Ndidi and compatriot Kelechi Iheanacho.
It was a first-ever cup triumph for Leicester City and that qualifies them to feature in the UEFA Europa League again after they were eliminated in the Round of 32 of the competition by Czech club Slavia Praha last season.
Ndidi has a contract with ‘The Foxes’ till June 2024 amid speculations he is wanted by some of Europe’s top clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea.
Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers said he is clear on the team he wants the Nigeria star to play for.
“He’s one of the top players in world football. His quality in his football is improving all the time. He is irreplaceable for us. He’s fantastic for a young player,” he remarked.
“What is pleasing as a coach, is that he wants to learn. He will improve and get better. I’m so happy he plays in my team.”