Simranjit Thandi, an Indian-origin footballer plying his trade at reigning Premier League champions Leicester City, has started to make all the right noises as far as his career is concerned.
Thandi has attracted interest from bigger Premier League clubs than Leicester, and his performances in the UEFA Youth League this season has raised his profile among the big hitters of English football.
Both Manchester United and Arsenal — two of the biggest English clubs — have enquired about the defender’s availability in the recent past. Should a move to one of the higher profile English transpire for Thandi, we could soon have an Indian-origin player lining up in the shirt of Manchester United or Arsenal.
Sources close to Sportskeeda have confirmed that although there is nothing concrete at this stage since Thandi is still in a developmental phase, his progress at Leicester’s academy has alerted some of the biggest English clubs, like Manchester United and Arsenal.
The onus, however, is on Thandi now to carry on doing what he has done so far and spark a transfer tug of war before he moves out of his teens.
The right-back plays for Leicester’s youth sides and is widely regarded as one of the best young prospects in English football at the moment. He was listed among the Guardian’s top 20 talents at Premier League clubs in September last year.
Born on 11 October 1999, Thandi played all six of Leicester’s matches in the UEFA Youth League this season, racking up full ninety minutes both home and away against Porto and Club Brugge. Although Leicester exited the competition in the group stage, Thandi proved a real presence for the young Foxes on the right-hand side.
Although Thandi has Indian roots, he has already played for England’s youth teams. The 17-year-old represented England Under-17s in the Algarve tournament in February last year, suggesting that the attacking right-back has chosen to follow the well-trodden path to the England national team.
Scout reports on Thandi rate him as a player who is assured in possession and has a great leap. His two-footedness is something not every 17-year-old defender possesses, hence it is no surprise the likes of United and Arsenal are tracking Thandi.
Thandi featured alongside Liverpool’s Ben Woodburn and Manchester United’s Angel Gomes in the Guardian’s Next Generation 2016 list which identified the best young prospects at the 20 Premier League clubs last year.
