Why a struggling Arsenal should sign Leicester star Ndidi

Reports in Nigeria (h/t Leicestershire Live), claim that Arsenal are lining up a cash-plus-player offer for Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.

The Gunners are ready to offer an amount of £40million along with midfielder Granit Xhaka in order to secure the signature of the in-form Ndidi, the report adds.

Arsenal are currently going through one of their worst patches in recent footballing history, with the club struggling in 11^th place in the table.

Their lapses both in the defence and the midfield have cost them heavily but Arsenal’s interest in Ndidi could be part of a resurgence with the club clearly lacking a quality defensive midfielder in their ranks.

Meanwhile, Ndidi has been in rocking form this season for Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City. A consistent starter, Ndidi has become a key figure in the Foxes’ midfield, standing out with his exceptional tackling and interceptions.

The 23-year-old has been a standout performer for the Foxes ever since he moved from Belgian outfit Genk in 2016. Rodgers has used him intelligently in the middle with the young holding midfielder cutting down opposition attacks with ease, thereby making the job easier for their defenders.   

Ndidi is only second behind teammate Ricardo Pereira as the player to record the highest number of successful tackles in the Premier League. This gives an insight into the young midfielder’s excellent defensive abilities and his importance within the Leicester outfit.

Despite his young age, the Nigerian international has played a total of 120 matches for Leicester and is not short of experience. The youngster has grown in stature over the years, establishing himself as a regular.

With his experience and excellent defensive qualities, he would be a great addition to an Arsenal midfield that has been below average. The Gunners have just two defensive midfielders in their ranks – one is out-of-favour man Xhaka and the other is Lucas Torreira.

Xhaka has endured one of the most torrid spells in his career, losing his place within the squad and being stripped of the captaincy after an altercation with the club’s fans.

His performances have also deteriorated with time, thus opening the doors for the young Torreira. However, the 23-year old has not quite gelled into that role and has looked mostly inconsistent.

Read more:

• Why signing Kulusevski could solve Arsenal’s problems in the attack
• Why Arsenal must hold onto defensive midfielder Torreira at all costs
• Why Arsenal appointing Sousa as manager would be a risky affair

With the poor form of their midfielders affecting the game, Arsenal are in dire need of reinforcements.

Verdict

There is no doubt Arsenal’s major issue this season has been their defence and Ndidi’s arrival could help them overcome their defects.

Moreover, he is already a proven performer at this young age and would be a great asset for the future. Hence Arsenal should definitely make an approach for the Nigerian.