Manchester United are targeting a move for a Leicester City player who didn't feature in each of their final five matches last season but he has been widely praised by Enzo Maresca
Kieran King
12:15, 27 May 2026
Leicester City defender Ben Nelson
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Leicester City defender Ben Nelson has attracted interest from some big clubs(Image: Getty Images)
Leicester City defender Ben Nelson is being targeted in a double deal by Manchester United, it has been claimed. The 22-year-old made 24 appearances for the Foxes as they were relegated from the Championship last season.
He had started the campaign as fourth-choice behind Jannik Vestergaard, Caleb Okoli and Wout Faes, but cemented a spot back in the XI following an impressive performance at Derby County in December.
Nelson proceeded to start 20 successive Championship matches until making two critical errors during a 3-1 home defeat to QPR in March, and he didn't end up starting a single game from that point on.
Despite this, Nelson has attracted United's attention and the Premier League side are weighing up a double move for the City centre-back and Southampton's midfield maestro, Shea Charles, according to the Daily Mail.
It's added that although Nelson and Charles wouldn't be seen as first-team starters, United are believed to be assessing players with potential to provide greater squad depth alongside their emerging youngsters.
Former Leicester manager Enzo Maresca was a big fan of Nelson during the Italian's time at the King Power Stadium, and even expressed an interest in bringing him to Chelsea last summer. Manchester City, a club Maresca now seems set to join, have also scouted Nelson recently.
Ben Nelson of Leicester City
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Nelson was well liked by Enzo Maresca(Image: Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
Speaking after Nelson made his full Championship debut in February 2024, Maresca said: "I'm happy, and I think he can be even better, much better than today. On the ball he can be more brave - he's a little bit shy, but he's [going] in the right direction."
Nelson was a figurehead in the Leicester XI for a number of months last season and it felt as though he would continue in the club's first-choice back-four until the end of the season.
But Gary Rowett, who worked with Nelson at Oxford United in 2024/25, decided to drop him in favour of Jamaal Lascelles and Caleb Okoli for City's trip to Watford at the end of March.
It came after he produced that error-ridden performance against QPR, where Nelson made a mistake leading to The R's opener, before he scored an own-goal early in the second half.
Following that game, Rowett was critical of Nelson and demanded for more consistency from the centre-back, saying: "When I first came in looked like perhaps he he'd not been playing with the same confidence that I saw him last season.
"I thought he was outstanding on Tuesday night [against Bristol City]. I thought it was outstanding Ipswich away. But I suppose sometimes you just want that consistency with players. We’re at a stage of a season where we can’t afford to not perform.
"I don't think it was just Ben today, but I thought there was certainly a couple of those moments. His mistakes which are unfortunate for him. He's got to do something about it."
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Nelson wasn't even included in the matchday squad for the final five matches of the season, with Rowett preferring Vestergaard, Okoli and Lascelles as his central defensive options.
But with United now circling around a potential move, he might not remain at the King Power as City prepare for their first League One season in 17 years.