Juventus are reportedly plotting to sign Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka in the summer as a free agent, with Arsenal and Tottenham also tracking the 23-year-old ahead of the January window.
According to Tuttosport, the Serie A giants are eager to add more defensive quality to their ranks for next season, with Ndicka viewed by Juventus as a cheap signing who could add a lot of much-needed youth to the backline if the centre-back leaves Frankfurt for free in the summer.
Ndicka’s current contract with the Bundesliga side is set to expire at the end of this season. Yet whilst Juventus are the masters of signing players for free based on their recent track record with the likes of Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria and Adrien Rabiot, recruiting the Frankfurt star will be a different challenge entirely.
As reported by FootMercato, Tottenham are interested in signing Ndicka in January, whilst according to Ben Jacobs, Arsenal are also chasing the centre-back ahead of a potential move in the winter window. Meaning that Juventus are playing a risky move by waiting until the summer for the defender.
Indeed, whilst Ndicka is free to speak to clubs in January to join them on a pre-contract agreement, Frankfurt themselves could push for interested clubs to outright sign the centre-back in the winter market to recoup some form of compensation for the defender.
As a result, Juventus might now lose out on Ndicka despite their plan to sign the defender. And for Arsenal and Tottenham, they should consider themselves the favourites to land the centre-back in January with their European rivals seemingly hindering themselves in the race for the Bundesliga star.
Juventus might have shot themselves in the foot in signing Ndicka
Juventus’ plan to sign Ndicka for free in the summer is a smart one, with the Seire A side agreeing a pre-contract more than likely if they act fast enough. However, given Frankfurt’s financial state, the German club will want a transfer fee for their star defender, something Arsenal or Tottenham can offer.
Whilst the fee will likely be small, something is better than nothing from Frankfurt’s perspective, and Juventus’ scheme to sign Ndicka will not well with the Bundesliga side, especially with interest from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham this January.
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