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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Evan Ndicka to north London next summer.
That’s according to a recent report by Italian media outlet Romagiallorossa.it (via Sport Witness), who claim that Spurs, Newcastle United and AS Roma are all keeping a close eye on the situation of the Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back ahead of making a potential approach for the 23-year-old in January.
However, the report goes on to state that it is the two Premier League sides leading the race for the Frenchman, as, despite Ndicka being available to sign on a free next summer, Jose Mourinho’s outfit are unlikely to be able to afford the defender’s contract demands – believed to be salary, commissions and a signing on bonus totalling a €20m (£17m) package.
Absolute steal
Considering just how impressive Ndicka has been for Eintracht in recent seasons, coupled with the fact that the former France U21 will be available to sign for nothing at the end of the current campaign, the argument that Fabio Paratici landing the defender would be an absolute steal for Tottenham is an easy one to make.
Indeed, according to FBref, the £17m-rated talent ranks in the top 14% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for blocks per 90, as well as the top 23% for clearances, the top 23% for aerial duels won, the top 32% for tackles and the top 46% for tackles over the last 365 days – demonstrating just how solid the 23-year-old is at the back.
The £20k-per-week gem also impresses going forwards, with FBref also ranking Ndicka in the top 32% of centre-backs for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 28% for shots, the top 5% for assists, the top 27% for dribbles completed and the top 38% for passes attempted over the past 12 months – highlighting both his comfort on the ball and threat in the final third.
Putting these metrics into context, over the defender’s 32 Bundesliga appearances last season, the left-footer helped his side keep five clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.9 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 4.1 clearances and winning 6.2 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per game.
The player who Christopher Michel dubbed both a “leader” and “incredible” also impressed going forwards, scoring four goals, registering four assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.8 shots, making 0.3 key passes and completing 0.4 dribbles per match.
These returns saw the 23-year-old average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.12, not only ranking him as Eintracht’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint 30th-best player in the top flight of German football as a whole last time out.
As such, with Clement Lenglet looking likely to return to Barcelona at the end of his loan deal next summer, should Paratici be able to land Ndicka as the 27-year-old’s replacement in Antonio Conte’s squad on a free, considering just how talented the 23-year-old evidently is, it would undoubtedly represent a remarkable move by the Italian sporting director.
