Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has completed his medical in Istanbul ahead of an £8 million transfer to Besiktas, with an official announcement expected in the next hours.
The 28-year-old Nigeria international arrived in Turkey on Thursday, where he was greeted by club officials and underwent routine fitness checks before posing for photos in the Black Eagles shirt.
Seven Years at Leicester
Ndidi joined Leicester from Genk in January 2017 for a reported £17 million, quickly establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most reliable defensive midfielders.
During his seven-and-a-half-year spell at the King Power Stadium, he made over 270 appearances, won the FA Cup in 2021, lifted the Community Shield, and helped guide the Foxes back into the Premier League in 2023-24. However, he was unable to prevent the club from suffering a second relegation in three years last season.
First Words as a Besiktas Player
Following his medical, Besiktas released a short interview with Ndidi on X (formerly Twitter). Wearing the club’s home shirt, the Nigerian midfielder expressed his delight at joining the Istanbul giants.
“It’s really amazing. Joining Besiktas is a really great feeling,” Ndidi said.
“It feels very warm and welcoming. Before I put the shirt on, I kissed the badge, which is very important — it shows my love.”
The move will see Ndidi link up with fellow high-profile summer arrivals at Besiktas, as the club looks to mount a strong challenge for the Süper Lig title and progress deep into European competition.
Besiktas in European Action
Besiktas were in action on Thursday night, beating Irish side St Patrick’s Athletic 4-1 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League third qualifying round tie. Tammy Abraham, another summer signing, scored a first-half hat-trick after ex-West Ham midfielder Joao Mario had opened the scoring.
Ndidi is expected to be unveiled to fans before the return leg next week.
