Arsenal plotting move for highly-rated defender this summer

According to German outlet Bild, Arsenal will look to bring Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan N'Dicka to the Emirates in the summer. The 21-year-old Frenchman, who can also play as a left-back, has primarily been deployed by Frankfurt boss Adolf Hutter on the left of a back three.

N'Dicka has been a very important player for Frankfurt this campaign, helping them sit fourth in the Bundesliga table. The Frenchman's solidity and dominance have really worked wonders for Frankfurt.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is keen to add defensive reinforcements this summer after the departures of Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi, while David Luiz and Calum Chambers are also expected to exit the North London club at the end of the season. N'Dicka has therefore been highlighted as a potential incoming.

The Frenchman has a contract at Frankfurt that runs until 2023 and the German side are still very much interested in keeping him so Arsenal know it will not be easy to bring the player to the club. Arsenal, however, have the advantage of a good relationship with N'Dicka's agent Michael N'Cho Ibou as he had helped work out a deal for Arsenal's record signing Nicolas Pepe in 2019.

Arsenal are among the clubs interested in Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan N’Dicka. The player's advisor brokered the deal for Nicolas Pepe, so the Gunners have an advantage. [@BILD]

— Z (@ZRAFC) February 3, 2021

The report suggested that should Eintracht Frankfurt secure Champions League qualification this campaign, N'Dicka would generate more interest from top sides and Arsenal are one of the clubs interested. Further reports though unconfirmed have put a £19M price tag on the Frenchman.

Sporting Director lauds Arsenal target

Eintracht Frankfurt v 1. FC Koeln - Bundesliga

N'Dicka joined Frankfurt in 2018 from boyhood club AJ Auxerre for €5.5M. He quickly secured a place in the first team at the German side at just 19 years of age. The Frenchman has gone on to make 86 appearances for Frankfurt in all competitions.

Evan N'Dicka - Eintracht Frankfurt - 20 - CB 🇫🇷Such a comfortable defender that he's now being used as a left-back by Adi Hütter, and is turning heads from some of Europe's biggest teams. Expect him to be linked to a lot of clubs once the transfer window opens. #SGE pic.twitter.com/g1KvYyhESv

— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) May 16, 2020

The German side's sporting director Bruno Hubner has also lauded the ability and potential of the young defender.

“He is a clever boy and I think he can assess what he has at Eintracht. He has a regular place with us. Here he enjoys the confidence of the coach. And his contract would also be well remunerated,” Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Bruno Hübner said.

“Evan is still very young. Frankfurt is his first stop. He still has time to develop. It would be extremely important for the status. Eintracht would automatically be a Champions League club – that stays in people’s heads and would also help Eintracht enormously in the years to come.”