Report: Leicester closes in on £14M move for Genk's Wilfred Ndidi

Leicester City will reportedly attempt to overcome its early-season struggles by focusing on improving its defensive efforts.

The defending Premier League champions are said to be in the advanced stages of negotiating a deal to lure teenager Wilfred Ndidi away from Belgian side Genk, John Percy of Tthe Telegraph reports.

Manager Claudio Ranieri is reportedly eager to make the 19-year-old the team's first signing in the New Year once the January transfer window opens.

However, Ndidi won't come cheap, as the Belgian side is expected to demand a fee worth £14 million. Percy adds that there's a chance the fee could eventually rise to as much as £16 million.

Ranieri is allegedly intrigued by Ndidi's versatility, as the Nigerian international is capable of playing centre-back, and can also be deployed as a defensive stop-gap in front of the back line - a role Leicester has struggled to fill since N'Golo Kante departed for Chelsea last summer.

Leicester, which currently sits two points above relegation less than a season after winning the Premier League 10 points clear of second-place Arsenal, will also target a creative midfielder and a winger in January.

Ndidi has been with Genk since 2015 and is currently signed through the 2020 season.