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• Wage demands stall Marseille’s Ndidi pursuit, Everton eye midfielder

Olympique de Marseille’s pursuit of Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi, 27, has taken a significant hit, according to a report by La Provence.

It had been earlier reported that Marseille had made contact with the Nigerian midfielder who is coming to the end of his contract in England.

However, as reported by the Marseille-based outlet, there are a few issues that are standing in the way of the club completing a move for the midfielder.

Primarily Les Phocéens are unwilling to meet his wage demands, especially with the club attempting to cut its wage bill by a third after missing out on European football in a turbulent season.

The second reason is that Marseille are attempting to move away from a model that targets experienced players coming to the end of their contract and want to pivot towards a focus on younger recruits who have the potential to develop and build their price tag.

Meanwhile, Everton are reportedly preparing to make a move for Ndidi.

According to Football Insider, Everton are keen on Ndidi and are set to make an approach for the 27-year-old when his contract at the King Power Stadium officially expires.

Barcelona are also believed to have a long-standing interest in Ndidi, but the Catalan outfit are not thought to be planning to make an approach for him this summer.

The midfielder made 36 appearances for Leicester during the 2023-24 campaign, scoring six goals and registering six assists in the process.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian has represented the Foxes on 273 occasions in all competitions, with 192 of those matches taking place in the topflight of English football.

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