Arsenal could reportedly cool their interest in signing Eintracht Frankfurt star Evan Ndicka after Gabriel Magalhaes penned a new long-term contract with the north London club.
According to the Express, the Gunners could head into the January transfer window with little interest in signing Ndicka after last week’s bombshell with Gabriel, with the Brazilian centre-back committing his future to Arsenal by penning a new contract until 2027.
As per the report, a left-footed centre-back had been on Mikel Arteta’s transfer agenda for January, with Gabriel, in the current squad, Arsenal’s only player who fits this criteria, with William Saliba, Ben White and Rob Holding all right-footed and more comfortable out on the right side of the defence.
With Ndicka a left-footer, the French youngster would have been perfect for Arsenal had the north London side made a move for the Frankfurt star in January, who according to Bild was valued at £24m in the January transfer window. However, this transfer fee is set to be lower in the new year.
Ndicka’s contract with Frankfurt is due to expire next summer, and with the defender yet to sign a new deal with the Bundesliga side, there’s a good chance that the German club could offload the centre-back for cheap, with Arsenal one of the clubs chasing the 23-year-old.
Indeed, whilst there is a rational behind Arsenal’s new reported stance on Ndicka, the Gunners could still do with a second left-footed centre-back in the squad as a backup for Gabriel, who is yet to suffer a major injury in his north London career.
Arsenal should still look to sign Ndicka despite new Gabriel contract
Left-footed centre-backs are a rare luxury in football, with Arsenal striking gold with the signing of Gabriel in 2020 from LOSC Lille, and whilst the Brazilian is an established starter with the Gunners, Ndicka would still be quite the addition for the north London side.
After all, the defender is extremely experienced at a European level despite being just 23-years-old, and although Gabriel will likely start when fit, Ndicka would still play quite a lot of football for Arsenal, with Arteta this season rotating the squad quite well between the Premier League and UEFA Europa League.
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