Mikel Arteta boxing clever as cut-price fee for long-term Arsenal defensive target emerges

Reports in Italy claim Arsenal are leading the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star Evan N’Dicka in January and could land the defender on the cheap.

The Gunners have made a superb start to the Premier League campaign and are sitting pretty at the top of the table. However, despite winning nine of ten top-flight games, most pundits feel their title challenge will eventually fade. Manager Mikel Arteta has continually played down their lofty position, attempting to keep his players grounded.

But there is a sense that the current crop of Emirates stars have what it takes to bring silverware to the club.

The Spanish tactician has recruited wisely. He forked out more than £100m on Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira during the summer window.

And reports suggest the Arsenal board will back him once again in the new year if he needs to bolster the squad.

N’Dicka has been on the north London outfit’s radar for some time. The 23-year-old was mentioned in connection with the Gunners back in March 2020.

Liverpool were also thought to be keen at the time but links to the capital club will not go away.

Italian giants AC Milan and Juventus are rumoured to be keen on the centre-back. According to Calciomercato.it, the Serie A duo have made ‘initial overtures’ about a winter deal.

The report adds that talks have begun, with the Bundesliga outfit demanding in the region of between £8.7m and £10.4m.

However, another report suggest the Premier League club hold all the aces in negotiations with the player.

N’Dicka deal would not break the bank

The fee involved for N’Dicka will not scare either of the Italian clubs involved. However, it has been suggested that Arsenal feel they can secure the talented youngster for as little at £7m.

And Il Romanista place the league leaders firmly at the front of the queue when it comes to the former France Under-21 ace.

N’Dicka signed for Die Adler in June 2018, inking a five-year deal at Deutsche Bank Park. He has yet to renew those terms and will be a free agent at the end of 2022-2023.

It remains to be seen if he does see out his time with Frankfurt or whether they look to secure a fee in January.

He has made 155 appearances in all competitions for his present employers, with 114 of those coming in the league.

And the Frenchman has started all ten of Frankfurt’s league games this term, helping them to fifth in the standings.

N’Dicka to fill Gabriel void

Gabriel Magalhaes has been entrusted with anchoring the Arsenal rearguard this season. The Brazilian has played well but is prone to making the odd mistake.

William Saliba has generally outperformaned his defensive partner and rumours persist that Gabriel might be on his way next summer.

Juventus have been linked and it will be tempting for Arsenal to sell, with the South American valued at around £40m.

That figure will be even more attractive if they can sign N’Dicka for less than £10m.

Arteta has been roundly praised for the work he has done at the Emirates this season. He knows things will get tougher and freshening up his backline this winter may act as a spur for others.

But if N’Dicka does stay in Germany until June then the former Auxerre stopper will be free to talk to foreign clubs in January.

And, if the reports are to be believed, the Gunners will be among those looking to open dialogue.

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