Brendan Rodgers dreams of reuniting with Ndidi by taking him to Celtic this summer

NEW Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is considering making an audacious bid for his former Leicester City protoge Wilfred Ndidi in the hope that he will be able to lure the midfielder to Scotland during the summer transfer window.

Ndidi played under Rodgers at Leicester after he moved to the King Power Stadium from Belgian side Genk for £17m back in 2018. Last season, however, Leicester got relegated from the English Premier League and the club will almost have to sell Ndidi in a bid to reduce its wage bill.

One of Leicester's high earners, Ndidi is said to be on £76,000 a week and already, one Saudi Arabian club is said to have been making enquiries about his services. Ndidi's price tag may seem out of reach for Celtic but given that he has just one year remaining on his contract, the Hoops' pursuit of the midfielder might not be as far-fetched as it seems.

However, Ndidi would need to take a massive cut and more than half his salary for Celtic to afford him. Ndidi, 26, boasts an impressive footballing resume, with 51 caps for Nigeria and a strong youth football career before his move to Belgium at the age of 20 in 2015 and from there coming to England.

Mr Rodgers, whose return to Celtic was officially announced on Monday, has reportedly been assured a substantial transfer budget, aligning with his ambitions to make a significant impact in European competitions. Under Rodgers, Ndidi experienced considerable success, including an FA Cup win in 2021 and twice securing a fifth-place finish in the Premier League.

Ndidi joined Leicester City in the wake of their incredible Premier League title win, as part of their investment to attempt to maintain their top-tier status in English football. If these transfer rumours are accurate, the reunion of Rodgers and Ndidi could mark an exciting era of robust growth for the Hoops.