Arsenal are ready to compete with AS Roma for the signing of Evan Ndicka on a free transfer next summer, according to a report.

Il Romanista report that AS Roma are following Evan Ndicka’s situation with great interest ahead of the January transfer window, when he’ll be free to discuss a pre-contract agreement.

The defender’s deal with Eintracht Frankfurt expires in 2023.

But the same outlet claim that Roma will face competition from the Premier League, naming Arsenal in particular.

There’s certainly some logic to an Arsenal move for Ndicka. The Gunners look to be low on centre-backs right now, particularly left-footed left-centre-backs, a point that has been picked up by the Evening Standard.

With Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White playing in the full-back positions more regularly nowadays, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, and Rob Holding are really Mikel Arteta’s only options centrally. Both Saliba and Holding seem to prefer the right.

Ndicka is left-footed and has an impressive set of stats, as well as building up plenty of experience in the Bundesliga and in Europe for his age – 23.

In many ways, he does seem like the kind of signing Arsenal are likely to make at the moment, and the Gunners have been linked with him a lot in the past.

But it’s still over two months until Arsenal can open talks with the defender over a free transfer, and the media links are a bit tenuous for now.