Arsenal are now making a move to sign a player Mikel Arteta has admired for years.
Some transfers can take a while to materialise, as clubs carry out groundwork and background checks on potential arrivals.
Riccardo Calafiori even admitted Arsenal started speaking to him a whole year before he eventually joined in a £42m move from Bologna.
The Italian said: “They started so early, around one year before. Mikel started to call me a bit and wanted to explain what they thought about me. He wanted to convince me but I was already convinced.”
Now, Arsenal have initiated talks to sign a player Mikel Arteta has wanted since 2020 in Evan Ndicka.
Arsenal open talks to sign Evan Ndicka
Gazzetta dello Sport are now claiming that Arsenal have started talks to sign the Ivory Coast international from Roma.
Ndicka – who Arsenal wanted in 2020, according to Sky Sports – is valued at around €40m (£34m) by the Italian giants, with Newcastle also said to be keen on securing his signature.
TBR Football understand Tottenham also hold an interest in Ndicka this summer – and he is keen on a move to the Premier League.
The Roma No.5 has played more minutes than anyone else for Claudio Ranieri’s side this season, making 47 appearances across all competitions – totalling 4,230 minutes – scoring one goal and providing two assists.
Ndicka – 25 – is contracted to Roma until June 2028, so the Serie A side have no urgent need to sell, although the fact they have named a price for the central defender suggests they are open to a sale.
Evan Ndicka could replace Jakub Kiwior
It would be a shock if Ndicka – who has been called “phenomenal” – arrived to replace either Gabriel Magalhaes or William Saliba, given the fact they are two of the best defenders in Europe.
However, it does seem more feasible that the Roma star could replace Jakub Kiwior.
The Poland international has stepped up and impressed since Gabriel saw his 2024/25 campaign end prematurely due to a hamstring injury, particularly shining in both legs against Real Madrid.
Keeping out the danger ⛔️
Heroic from Jakub Kiwior 👏 pic.twitter.com/IAAfyiKqcy
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 25, 2025
However, before Gabriel suffered his injury, Kiwior looked set to be sold by Andrea Berta – the new Director of Football at Arsenal.
The Pole has certainly raised his value with his recent displays, which could actually make Arsenal open to cashing in while his stock is high, rather than watch his price tag decline once Gabriel returns and he resumes his place on the bench.
