Wilfred Ndidi, should he decide to stay at Leicester City, will be working under Steve Cooper next season after the club announced the appointment of the 44-year-old as their new head coach.
The Foxes have moved quickly to secure a replacement for Enzo Maresca following his departure to Chelsea earlier in June.
Ndidi regained his best form under Maresca last season and was one of the mainstays in the Italian’s starting line-up as Leicester City won the English Championship to gain promotion to the Premier League.
A statement by the newly promoted club on Thursday said Cooper, who previously managed Swansea City and Nottingham Forest, has put pen to paper on a three-year contract.
Wilfred Ndidi’s tricky situation at Leicester City
Ndidi has spent six and a half years at Leicester since joining from Genk in January 2017, helping the Foxes to win the FA Cup, Community Shield and the EFL Championship.
However, his current contract is set to expire at the end of June, which means he could leave as a free agent if the club fails to agree on a contract extension.
Earlier this month, Leicester announced their retained list for the next season, with long-serving winger Marc Albrighton and Ndidi’s compatriot Kelechi Iheanacho among those who have been let go.
The Foxes, however, said they were still talking to Ndidi to extend his stay at the King Power Stadium, with a statement saying: “The Club remains in discussion with midfielder Wilfred Ndidi regarding his future beyond the expiration of his current contract this month.”
Ndidi will not be short of suitors if he decides not to extend his contract with Leicester.
The Nigeria international has been linked with several Premier League clubs, including Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Brentford and Aston Villa, as well as French club Olympique Lyon.
The 27-year-old scored six goals and provided six assists in 36 matches in all competitions last season.
