Wilfred Ndidi joins Besiktas after eight years at Leicester City
The Nigerian midfielder joins Besiktas on a three-year contract with an option to extend by one more year. The Turkish side confirmed that both clubs reached an agreement over a sum of eight million Euros.
Wilfred joined Leicester from Belgian side Genk in January 2017 and became a key figure in the Foxes midfield across eight seasons at King Power Stadium. He made 303 appearances in all competitions, finding the net 18 times.
A tireless and combative presence in the center of the pitch, Wilf played a vital role in some of the Club's most successful moments in recent years - helping them to consecutive fifth place finishes in the Premier League, lifting the Emirates FA Cup and FA Community Shield in 2021, and winning the Sky Bet Championship title in 2023/24.
The club thanked the 28-year-old for his services across nine years with the club in an emotionally charged statement. "Having arrived as a promising 20-year-old, Wilf departs as a seasoned international with the admiration of team-mates, staff and supporters alike for his efforts and achievements in a Leicester City shirt.
He leaves with the sincere thanks and best wishes of everyone at Leicester City for the next chapter of his career," read the statement by the club.
Leicester were relegated to the Championship after having gained promotion in the previous season, in 2024-25, and Ndidi played 2337 minutes across 28 league appearances while also scoring five goals.
Ndidi's move to Turkey marks the end of yet another cherished tenure with Leicester, after club legend Jamie Vardy left following the conclusion of the season.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
21 hours ago
- NDTV
Johan Bakayoko: Belgian Prodigy Who Snubbed Premier League For RB Leipzig In Bundesliga
The German Bundesliga has become a deep pool of talent, creating, nurturing, and even supplying top-quality footballers all across the globe. One of the clubs that has quickly developed a reputation of helping promising youngsters become world-class players is RB Leipzig. In a transfer window that saw Leipzig lose a player of the quality of Benjamin Sesko, sold to Manchester United for over 80 million Euros, the club quickly moved to capture another highly promising player from the market, Belgian winger Johan Bakayoko. In a chat with NDTV during a round table media conference, Bakayoko shared insights into his transfer to the German Bundesliga despite concrete interest from multiple clubs in the English Premier League. Responding to a query from NDTV about the role fellow Belgian internationals, Lois Openda and Arthur Vermeeren, who also play for Leipzig in the Bundesliga, played in his transfer to the club, Bakayoko admitted that it was important for him to hear from them about how they felt at Leipzig. "I think indirectly, yes. Because for me, it makes it easier to adapt to a new environment. Because they're already here. It's not that I talk to them about whether I should come or not. Because I think for me, it wasn't the right thing to do. It was just about asking how they feel there and stuff like that. "It's always nice to have friends there. To have friends who can help you and to help you develop. And also see their development since they arrived. So, yes," he added. Freewheeling Conversation With Jurgen Klopp Bakayoko also spoke to former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp before his transfer from PSV to Leipzig. Klopp doesn't hold a managerial role at the Bundesliga club but is the Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull, the owners of RB Leipzig. During the media conference, the Belgian attacker revealed that Klopp didn't push him to sign for Leipzig, instead highlighting the plan he should follow, the structure he should adopt, no matter which club he went to. "We didn't even talk about him wanting me to come (here). It was really about football and what vision I have of football. And that was how I was thinking, like, okay. So as a person, he's not even there to push me to go. He didn't even talk to me, like, even if you go to some other club, then you have to do this to adapt better. "That was like just a free-on talk, and he wanted to see how I am as a person. So I was thinking, like, okay, so if someone like this talks to you in this kind of way, and he wanted to build a project, and he wants, of course, you to be part of it, but he doesn't want to push you to be part of it. So he gives you the freedom to express yourself, and that's everything I need," he revealed. At the end, Bakayoko decided to join Leipzig as he didn't feel he could freely express himself at the club, without feeling the pressure of doing something that he didn't want to. "I don't want to feel like I'm pressured in some other way. I just want to feel like someone wants me to help this club. That's it. "And that's what he told me, the way he wanted me to help the club and to perform, and they're going to help me. So that was like a vice versa, and that made me believe that was the right step."
Deccan Herald
a day ago
- Deccan Herald
Morecambe appoint Ashvir Singh Johal as first Sikh professional manager in England
Johal, who worked at Leicester City's academy for 10 years, replaces Derek Adams who left the club following the takeover by the Panjab Warriors consortium. The 30-year-old is also the youngest manager in the top-five tiers of English soccer.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Blue Lock chapter 314 part 2 spoilers: Japan scores first goal in U20 World Cup, can Nigeria catch up?
Blue Lock chapter 314 part 2 spoilers: In the latest chapter of Blue Lock, the U20 World Cup heats up as Japan makes a striking start against Nigeria. With a brilliant first goal, Japan showcases their sharp teamwork and tactical prowess, immediately putting pressure on their opponents. The match intensifies with every move, keeping fans on the edge of their seats, eager to see if Nigeria can mount a comeback. Blue Lock chapter 314 part 2 spoilers Chapter 314 Part 2 picks up right where the previous chapter left off, with Onazi moving in to block Isagi's shot. Onazi, aware of the danger of Isagi's direct strikes, begins his usual line, 'But it's fine, as long as I am here', only to be interrupted mid-sentence by Isagi, who scolds him as a 'monotonous bastard' for repeating the same phrase over and over. At this moment, Isagi has fully analyzed Onazi and the Nigerian team, recognizing that Onazi's unlimited stamina is his greatest weapon, allowing him to appear in every critical situation, both offensively and defensively. Isagi notes that the Japanese team can control the match entirely, as long as Onazi doesn't touch the ball. Meanwhile, Kuso realizes that it's not Blue Lock as a whole that has adapted to Nigeria, it's Isagi. He is the 'switch,' the starting point of both offense and defense. The two strategic midfielders, Reo and Karasu, simply fill in the missing pieces of his plan. The action then shifts to Japan's ace players, Isagi and Rin, charging toward the goal. Isagi passes to Bachira, prompting Kuso to try predicting who Bachira will pass to next. But Bachira, showing off his signature ego-driven play, dribbles past Isagi and the Nigerian defenders, even rainbow flicking over Rin, before shooting straight into the net. Goal! Japan takes the lead in the U20 World Cup, courtesy of Blue Lock's ultimate egoist, Meguru Bachira. And if I said Rin, Isagi, and Bachira are one of the BEST Blue Lock trios Blue Lock chapter 314 part 2 release date and time Blue Lock Chapter 314 Part 2 is set to release on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at 12:00 AM JST. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT): 8:00 AM, Tuesday, August 19 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT): 11:00 AM, Tuesday, August 19 British Summer Time (BST): 4:00 PM, Tuesday, August 19 Central European Summer Time (CEST): 5:00 PM, Tuesday, August 19 Indian Standard Time (IST): 8:30 PM, Tuesday, August 19 Philippine Standard Time (PST): 11:00 PM, Tuesday, August 19 Japanese Standard Time (JST): 12:00 AM, Wednesday, August 20 Australia Central Standard Time (ACST): 12:30 AM, Wednesday, August 20
