While he hasn’t had as many public suitors as Manu Koné, Evan Ndicka may be no less critical to Roma’s transfer plans this summer. That the Ivorian defender hasn’t been mentioned in the transfer press as frequently is due to two factors: 1) We accept it as a fait accompli that he’ll be sacrificed to meet the club’s Financial Fair Play benchmarks, and 2) No single club has stepped up its pursuit of the soon-to-be 27-year-old Ivorian defender. But that’s the silly season in a nutshell, isn’t it, where
certainty is shrouded in ambiguity, and every insider has their own angle or take on what is essentially loosely informed speculation.
Still, despite that skepticism, there is logic to these rumors. For one, Ndicka is incredibly talented, in the prime of his career, and has nearly everything modern managers want in a center-back. He’s a “set it and forget it” defender, a player you can pencil into the starting lineup for 3,000 minutes every season without batting an eye. Oh, and did we mention he’s a 6’3” lefty?
Given that, it seems insane that Roma would willingly part ways with Ndicka, doesn’t it? But FFP rarely takes sentiment into account, so no matter how perfectly suited he is to the Giallorossi, the club’s history suggests it can weather the storm. After the inimitable duo of Philippe Mexes and Juan left the club a decade and a half ago, Roma has consistently produced quality defenders: Mehdi Benatia, Kostas Manolas, Leandro Castan, Marquinhos, Federico Fazio, Chris Smalling, and Roger Ibañez, to name a few.
Whether or not we can add Daniele Ghilardi or Jan Ziolkowski to that list remains to be seen. Still, given their assembly-line-like ability to churn out center-backs and Ndicka’s desirability on the open market, he was always likely to dominate the transfer headlines. And now, at long last, suitors are starting to emerge.
According to the Corriere della Sera, Tottenham Hotspur is making a play, offering a reported €35 million for Ndicka. The other CdS speculates that Ndicka would prefer a Champions League club, which, after fighting so hard to reach with Roma, isn’t surprising. After barely avoiding relegation, adding a dependable piece like Ndicka makes all the sense in the world.
Still, it’s only early June, and silly season has just begun. So, whether it’s Spurs, Inter, or some as yet unknown club, Ndicka’s time with Rome could be coming to an end.
Stay tuned, we’ll continue to track this story over the coming days and weeks.
