Liverpool one step closer to signing Evan Ndicka as Barcelona agree deal

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On Thursday afternoon, Eintracht Frankfurt finally made one of the worst-kept secrets in German football public knowledge.

William Pacho, after weeks of speculation, was officially unveiled at the Bundesliga outfit; Oliver Glasner’s Europa League winners agreeing a deal with Royal Antwerp which could rise to £14 million. 

That was the good news. The bad, for Frankfurt supporters, is that Pacho’s arrival all-but confirms that Evan Ndicka will indeed be leaving the Commerzbank Arena when his contract expires on July 1^st. 

Pacho, a left-footed centre-half, is a readymade replacement for fellow southpaw Ndicka. The Frenchman’s affordability and availability, The Mirror say, has not gone unnoticed at Liverpool either; Jurgen Klopp’s side looking to bring in defensive reinforcements while ring-fencing funds for some much-needed midfield additions. 

Liverpool like Eintracht Frankfurt’s Evan Ndicka

Ndicka, capped by France at U21 level, is also on the radar of Arsenal and Tottenham, among others. Make no mistake; Liverpool will face a battle as they look to get their mitts on a man who first registered on Jurgen Klopp’s radar when he was a baby-faced teenager rising through the ranks at Auxerre. 

And, in a boost to Liverpool’s hopes, one club may be about to bow out of contention. Barcelona, per ESPN and Fabrizio Romano, have reached a verbal agreement with Athletic Bilbao’s experienced Spain international Inigo Martinez; Another ball-playing centre-half who favours his left over his right.

Barcelona reportedly reached an agreement with Ndicka too earlier in 2023 (Sport1). There ain’t room at the Camp Nou for the both of them, however. And Barca appear to have settled on Martinez instead; his proven track record in La Liga appealing to the Spanish leaders, not to mention the fact that the 31-year-old has been on the Blaugrana radar for at least the last five years. 

“Sometimes he has a positional error in his game. He could also be more resolute in duels. But in the overall package, Ndicka is an outstanding player,” Sport1 reporter Christopher Michel tells The Chronicle. 

“Left-footed, good passing, fast, good header, also capable of scoring; Evan Ndicka is playing soccer at a consistently high level. Of all the Eintracht defenders, Ndicka is the most consistent.”