Newcastle United are reportedly interested in Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka.
That is according to a new report in Italy that claims the Magpies are one of two Premier League clubs looking to sign the 23-year-old. The other club mentioned is Tottenham Hotspur.
According to Romagiallorossa.it, Newcastle and Spurs have a ‘strong interest’ in the Frenchman, which could have an impact on Serie A side Roma.
The Italian report believes that Jose Mourinho’s side could get rid of centre-back Marash Kumbulla during the January transfer window. And if they do, they will look to sign a replcament.
Ndicka is a target, but Romagiallorossa.it believe Roma are behind Eddie Howe and Tottenham in the race to secure his signature.
This isn’t the first time that Ndicka has been linked with a move to St James’ Park, but news of fresh interest certainly comes as a surprise – if it really is the case.
Fresh Newcastle interest in Ndicka begs Sven Botman question
Going into the summer of 2022, Newcastle wanted a centre-back. And the Chronicle claimed that Ndicka was a target.
He was flying in the Bundesliga with Frankfurt, and went on to win the Europa League. But while he celebrated silverware, a move to Newcastle wasn’t forthcoming.
Instead, Dan Ashworth brought in Sven Botman for £35million from Lille. He has been a titan of defending since arriving at St James’ Park, and looks like he could go on to become one of the Premier League’s best defenders.
Botman is only 22-years-old, and is the future of our defence. But could he be joined by 23-year-old Ndicka?
They would give Newcastle a consistent pairing going into the future, but it would force Botman to change position. The Dutchman has been playing as a left-sided centre-back, given the fact he is left-footed.
But so is Ndicka. If he was to leave Frankfurt for Newcastle, it would perhaps suggest that Howe thinks Botman is capable of playing on his weaker side. That has been reported previously, but we are yet to see it happen in the Premier League.
Ndicka is certainly a talented defender, who has a lot of potential. But Jamie Carragher thinks he can be ‘too aggressive‘.
If Howe could coach that out of him, he could be another smart addition for Newcastle. But we wait for more news from an English source, because at the moment this feels unlikely.