Maignan, le gros coup de gueule

Leicester City transfer latest: Midfielder open to ‘Champions League’ move in summer ahead of summer rebuild

Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is reportedly open to a move to Turkish side Galatasaray should his team be relegated from the Premier League.

The Foxes were beaten 3-0 by Manchester United in their most recent Premier League game on March 16, a result that left them second last in 19th place with 17 points.

Given they are already nine points behind 17th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, it is difficult to see Ruud van Nistelrooy‘s side staying in the top flight.

Worrying reports from Turkish-Football.com claim that midfielder Ndidi would prefer to avoid spending a second season in the Championship, saying that he is open to a move to Galatasaray to play Champions League football.

Though Ndidi did not win the Premier League title with the club in the 2015-16 season, the Nigerian was part of Leicester City squad’s that competed for Champions League football.

The 28-year-old is one of the few remaining members of the squad that won the FA Cup against Chelsea in 2021, and his exit would arguably signal the end of Leicester’s most successful period in recent history.

Leicester City man suffers injury worry on international duty - Leicestershire Live

Should Leicester be relegated from the top flight, is is unlikely that Ndidi would be the only one to leave the club, with players such as Mads Hermansen and Bilal El Khannouss linked with moves away.

Veteran striker Jamie Vardy is also 38 years old, and it would be surprising if he was able to continue leading the line for much longer.

When Leicester made the decision to sack Steve Cooper after just 12 Premier League games, the Foxes were in 16th place with 10 points.

Van Nistelrooy has only collected seven points from his 17 top-flight matches at the club, and after winning his debut match 3-1 against West Ham United on February 27, he has overseen 13 defeats, one draw and one win in the league.

Cooper managed to help Nottingham Forest avoid relegation from the Premier League in 2022-23 and boasts a considerable track record when it comes to coaching, while Van Nistelrooy has little more than one season’s worth of work as a manager.

Additionally, while Leicester may have been relegated had they stuck with Cooper, the Englishman did bring Forest from the Championship to the Premier League, and his experience in the lower tiers could have been beneficial.

Reading FC end 135-year wait for top-flight football

Danny Ward makes 'frustrating' admission as Leicester City relegation concern grows - Leicestershire Live

On this day 19 years ago, Reading ended a 135-year-wait to reach the top-flight of English football…and in emphatic style.

Returning to the second tier in 2002 and pushing for promotion for the next three years, including a failed play-off attempt, the opening day of 2005/06 and a 2-1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle, showed little sign that this was to prove an especially special campaign.

Fast-forward to March 25 2006, the 40th matchday of 46, and Reading secured promotion to the Premiership with a 1-1 draw at mid-table Leicester City.