Arsenal are reportedly braced to battle Paris Saint-Germain for Roma defender Evan Ndicka, as Mikel Arteta looks to finally win the Premier League title in 2025-26.
The Londoners were beaten 1-0 by the French side in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash on Tuesday, with Ousmane Dembele's early goal enough to separate the teams.
Winning the Champions League represents the Gunners' only chance of silverware this term given Liverpool have confirmed their status as Premier League champions.
Arteta will be disappointed that his players failed to take advantage of a number of opportunities in the final third, and missed chances from the likes of Gabriel Martinelli have reignited claims that the club must make offensive reinforcements in the summer.
However, Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that the Arsenal boss is keen on signing centre-back Ndicka, whose £25m price tag is said to also be interesting Newcastle United.
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Ndicka in profile
The Ivory Coast international has enjoyed a strong campaign in Italy, and he is one of four players to have played every single minute in the league this season.
Ndicka is comfortable during early buildup phases, with the centre-back attempting the most passes (2,260), registering the most touches (2,563) and also carrying the ball the furthest distance (8,003 yards) amongst his teammates.
The 25-year-old has predominantly operated on the left side of central defence, but it should be said that he is also familiar with playing as a full-back on either the right or left.
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Does Ndicka make sense for Arsenal?
While Ndicka's ability on the ball would make him a strong stylistic fit for Arteta, it remains to be seen if the Gunners boss should target any reinforcements in defence this summer.
Arsenal have been forced to utilise midfielder Mikel Merino in the forward line due to injuries sustained by Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, and perhaps the Londoners should look to make multiple additions up front.
Full-backs Ben White and Jurrien Timber also have experience as centre-backs, meaning Arteta already has cover in the heart of defence should he suffer an injury crisis in the backline.
If Arteta has ambitions of winning the Premier League title in 2025-26, then he will have to make sure he strengthens in the right areas to challenge champions Liverpool.
Lewis Nolan
