Statistics experts WhoScored __have assessed the credentials of Leicester City transfer target Wilfred Ndidi. Find out why the Genk midfielder could help fire the Foxes back up the Premier League table…
When Cristiano Ronaldo was named 2016 Ballon d’Or winner this week, it wasn’t exactly the shock some anticipated. After all, the Portugal international picked up a Champions League and Euro 2016 winners’ medal this calendar year and it was always going to be between him and Lionel Messi for the individual accolade. Rather, Jamie Vardy being dubbed the eighth best player this year raised eyebrows. A hat-trick against Manchester City last weekend aside, the England international has not been at his best in 2016, so for him to finish above the likes of Luka Modric, Sergio Aguero and Robert Lewandowski was - to some - a farce.
Making matters even more bemusing, former Leicester teammate N’Golo Kante wasn’t even nominated for the award, despite the Frenchman’s vital role in their surprise Premier League title win, since further emphasised in the Foxes’ lacklustre start to their defence. His influence was crucial and it’s shown this season. A 1-0 loss at Bournemouth on Tuesday night means Claudio Ranieri’s side __have just one away point to their name this term, while his team sit just four points above the relegation zone. Clearly, Leicester are struggling without Kante to win possession in midfield and instigate attacks.
The signing of Daniel Amartey last January added depth and an alternative to Kante, while Nampalys Mendy’s arrival over the summer signalled a change in approach, with the two midfielders differing in style. Leicester, though, look to have finally landed the player required to fill the void Kante left upon his move to Chelsea. Wilfred Ndidi was hardly a household name outside of Belgium mere weeks ago, but Leicester’s move for the teenage sensation has seen him thrust into the spotlight. His performances in the Europa League earned him a place in WhoScored.com’s team of the group stages, with the 19-year-old earning a rating of 8.19, the second best in the competition.
At his age, Ndidi remains very much a diamond in the rough, but his impact in midfield ensured Genk secured their place in the next round of the Europa League as they topped Group F. Ndidi made more tackles and interceptions combined (71) than any other player in the group stages, signifying his tenacity in pursuit of possession and impressive energy levels. Kante’s greatest quality is his ability to dominate the midfield, often covering as much ground as two men, and his sale was always going to negatively impact Leicester.
The Foxes remain a team who will look to play a direct style, noted in that their average possession this season (44.5%) ranks lowly in the Premier League, but the lack of quality ball winning midfielder hindered their approach. Indeed, four attempts on goal from counter-attacking situations from 16 league games this season, a huge drop from the 18 attempts last term, suggests they have missed the necessary player to help soak up pressure before aggressively robbing opponents to catch teams on the break. Given his performances in Europe this season, Ndidi is the player Leicester require and it’s little surprise to see them look to push the deal over the line as quickly as possible.
That being said, there is work to be done on Ndidi’s game that Ranieri will hope to improve upon. A 79.5% pass success rate is low for a midfielder, but then the Nigerian’s stand out trait is not to keep the team ticking over. Genk had four counter-attacking attempts on goal in their six Europa League group games, so their style is not too dissimilar to Leicester’s, which is naturally a boost to the Premier League champions. Ndidi will undoubtedly strengthen this Foxes team with the youngster hoping to prove capable of filling the huge gap Kante left when he departed for Chelsea over the summer.
For more stats on Wilfred Ndidi, click here to view his WhoScored.com player page...