It has been revealed that former Chelsea ace Celestine Babayaro was the brain behind Leicester City splurge on Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.
During the summer when the English champions lost N’goloKante to Chelsea, Claudio Ranieri who is still very close to Babayaro after the pair first met at Chelsea, asked his former player to make a check on the Nigerian.
Babayaro who started his career in Belgium contacted close friends who are still residing in the country, and received glowing reports about the 19-year-old before traveling down to Belgium to scout Ndidi himself.
The former Chelsea star now turns scout watched Ndidi play five times in Belgium before compiling a report to his former boss on Ndidi, which prompted talks between Leicester City and Genk a month ago.
An agreement was struck on Tuesday for a fee in the region of £15m for his transfer, which will be made official in January when the transfer window reopens for players transfer.
it is also reported that suggestions that Wilfred Ndidi has agreed terms with Premier League champs Leicester City are wide of the mark, with the Foxes facing serious competition for the signature of the Nigeria international.
Leicester City had agreed to sign the defensive midfielder in the winter transfer market after he was recommended to the club by a Racing Genk scout, who was recently poached by Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho to handle his scouting duties.
This is the best kept secret at Old Trafford weeks leading up to the opening of the January transfer window, Mourinho is seeking approval from the Board to sign Wilfred Ndidi and is confident the scout’s relationship with Genk will swing the deal.
On top of that, Leicester City don’t have the financial muscle to compete with Manchester United if it turns out to be a bidding war, meaning the Red Devils are ready to pay more than the 14 million pounds transfer fee being bandied around in the press.
Racing Genk’s current position on the imminent transfer of Wilfred Ndidi to the Premier League is that he will be sold to the highest bidder.
Celestine Babayaro convinced Ranieri to splash £15m on Ndidi … As Man Utd. Set to Out bid Leicester for the Nigerian talent
