Manchester United might be pivoting to a Plan C in midfield this summer. After watching three primary targets slip away in a matter of days, the club has reportedly set its sights on a familiar name: Wilfred Ndidi.
The Nigerian international, who spent years at Leicester City before following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to Besiktas last season, is now drawing interest from United as a potential third midfield addition. According to Footy-Africa, the club sees Ndidi as a more affordable option after getting priced out of moves for Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes.
That sting still fresh. United missed on Anderson when Newcastle made it clear they wouldn’t budge on valuation, and Fernandes went elsewhere after similar sticker shock. Meanwhile, Sandro Tonali was also linked but is off the board now too. Jim Ratcliffe has made his stance known publicly: the club won’t get dragged into bidding wars, especially not the kind that inflate fees beyond what they see as reasonable.
The Ndidi situation in Istanbul
Ndidi’s time in Turkey has gotten complicated. Solskjaer brought him to Besiktas last year, but the Norwegian manager is gone now. So is his replacement, Sergen Yalcin. With two coaching changes inside a year, the 29-year-old defensive midfielder finds himself in a weird spot. He’s expected to report for preseason training while his representatives work through transfer possibilities. Besiktas is open to letting him go for roughly €8 million, which is what they paid to sign him. That number will look cheap to United if they’re serious about adding a third midfielder.
Hull City also wants Ndidi. The newly-promoted side is monitoring his situation closely, and there’s interest from Saudi Arabia as well. But United’s presence in the race changes the math. Even if Ndidi isn’t the splash signing fans were hoping for, the logic is straightforward: proven Premier League experience, a reasonable fee, and a skillset (ball recovery, screen in front of defense) that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already trusted enough to take him to Turkey.
What about the other targets?
Fabrizio Romano has previously named Aurelien Tchouameni and Alex Scott as two players United “internally consider as fantastic options.” The problem with Tchouameni is tied to his wages and Real Madrid not giving a green light on a deal. Scott is a different kind of headache: Bournemouth insists he’s not for sale, though that stance could soften if a massive offer arrives before the window closes. Arsenal is also in that mix, which complicates things.
United has already lined up a deal for Atalanta’s Ederson, with an official announcement expected soon. That signing covers one midfield spot. Ndidi would be a different profile entirely — cheaper, older, and more of a pure destroyer. If the club brings in two midfielders this summer, Ederson and Ndidi would give them contrast but not necessarily the elite quality some fans wanted after last season’s struggles.
None of this is confirmed by the club yet. But the pattern is clear: United wants bodies in midfield. They’ve missed on the guys they liked at the top of the list. Ndidi might be the guy they settle on when the market pushes back.
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