When Leicester City signed Wilfred Ndidi in the middle of the 2016/17 season, the team had a clear need for a player with his skill-set.
Leicester’s surprise, maiden top-flight triumph of the previous campaign had brought bigger sides swooping for some of the players who starred in that title-winning season.
N'Golo Kante was one of those, and the talismanic Frenchman's exit left a gaping void in the middle of the park that required filling—and it was to Ndidi, just shy of his 20th birthday, that manager Claudio Ranieri turned.
Joining the reigning Premier League champions, not quite two years after moving from his homeland to Belgian side Genk for a six-figure sum, Ndidi was keen to make a name for himself, even if that meant trying the giant shoes of a player like Kante for size.
The 28-year-old has been linked with a move from Leicester to Turkey — and not for the first time.
The earliest rumours one might dig up on the Internet goes all the way back to last summer, but they've been coming in thick and fast in recent weeks, and the latest links may well be what ends his eight-year stay at the King Power Stadium and eventually land him a destination in the Turkish Super Lig.
From a fresh challenge to European football and a strong Super Eagles boost, here’s why Turkey might just be the right move.
A fresh start in a competitive environment
After nearly a decade in England, where he became one of the Premier League’s most consistent defensive midfielders, Ndidi is now at a crossroads.
His time at Leicester City has seen ups and downs—from starring in a side that qualified for Europe to enduring relegation to the Championship. A move to Turkey offers a much-needed change of scenery at a point in his career where stagnation must be avoided.
The Turkish Super Lig has grown in profile in recent years, attracting top talent from across Europe and South America.
A move to Turkey could offer Ndidi a fresh challenge in a competitive environment, with several top clubs—including Fenerbahçe—vying to restore their domestic dominance and achieve greater European relevance.
For Ndidi, this would mean stepping into a side with high ambitions and a demanding fanbase—an environment that could reignite his hunger and elevate his game.
Boosting his Super Eagles influence ahead of major tournaments
With Nigeria already securing qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the race to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup still ongoing, regular game time and consistent form are crucial for every Super Eagles player.
A move to Turkey—particularly to a club like Fenerbahçe—could offer him the chance to regain top form in a competitive environment that blends intensity with tactical awareness.
Turkish football’s physicality and tempo align well with Ndidi’s attributes. His ball-winning prowess, positional discipline, and remarkable stamina would not only suit the league but also help him maintain a key role in Nigeria’s midfield.
How Turkey move could revive Wilfred Ndidi's career
It isn't the worst footballing country in the world, no, but hardly any top players harbour a desire to move there in their prime.
Far too often, it's just the sort of place declining stars settle for, and there are several Nigerian examples of that — think the likes of Joseph Yobo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Julius Aghahowa, Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses.
As some of those players have shown, however, such a switch — though an obvious downgrade if you've been playing in England all your professional life — need not necessarily rubbish one's value as a prized international, and a guarantee of more minutes there may well, in fact, even afford him a second wind.
For Ndidi, as for Leicester (and even for the Super Eagles), a move to Turkey could work out quite successfully in the end.
