Tottenham and Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star Evan Ndicka for free next summer, as per the German outlet Frankfurter Rundschau.
The 23-year-old’s current contract is set to expire at the end of this season and the Frenchman is yet to sign an extension with Oliver Glasner’s side. This has led to speculation he’ll be on the move with Arsenal and Tottenham among the clubs to have been linked in recent months.
Antonio Conte is seemingly keen on strengthening his backline this January, while Mikel Arteta is looking to sign a new left-sided centre-back to provide competition for Gabriel Magalhaes.
According to the report by Frankfurter Rundschau, Frankfurt have offered a new contract to the talented defender, however, that proposal didn’t match Ndicka’s economic demands. So, the negotiations regarding a new deal have stalled.
With the January window now open, the Frenchman is free to talk with foreign clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement ahead of a free move in the summer. And the German outlet claims that the player’s agent has offered Ndicka to Arsenal and Tottenham, as well as many other clubs around Europe.
Ndicka to leave Frankfurt
The report also says that Ndicka wants a salary package of around €7m (£6m) per year plus a huge €15m (£13m) agent fee to join his next club as a free agent. So, either Arsenal or Tottenham will need to invest €50m (£43m) over the next five years to sign the defender on a five-year deal.
It will be fascinating to see whether either Spurs or the Gunners will want to match the Frenchman’s huge financial demands and sign him up next summer.
Tottenham have been struggling with their defensive issues since the start of this season. They have conceded 25 goals in 18 Premier League games so far this term, keeping only five clean sheets. Therefore, strengthening the defence would be the right decision and Ndicka could be an ideal addition.
The Frenchman plays in a back three system – which is similar to how Tottenham play – at Deutsche Bank Park under Glasner. Hence, Ndicka would take less time to settle down at White Hart Lane if he were to join the club.
On the other hand, Arteta prefers to deploy a left-footed centre-back in a back four. However, he doesn’t have any alternative to Magalhaes for that role. Therefore, adding Ndicka would allow the Spaniard to rotate his backline and manage the Brazilian’s work rate.
Therefore, it will be interesting to see whether Arsenal or Tottenham make a concrete move to sign Ndicka in January or next summer, but he’d be an excellent signing if they could snap him up on a free transfer.
