Roma are on the verge of landing their second free agent signing of the offseason as Eintract Frankfurt Centerback Evan N’Dicka has reportedly chosen the Giallorossi over fellow Italian giants AC Milan according to Gianluigi Longari. The contract will pay the Ivorian international four million per year and run through 2028, as opposed to the Rossinerri’s contract offer also running for five years but at 3 million per year. N’Dicka now joins former Lyon midfielder Houseem Auoar as Roma have secured the two names that they had been connected to and pursuing for multiple transfer windows. N’Dicka is expected to fly out to the Italian capital as early as tomorrow to conduct a physical later this week.
Roma’s courting of N’Dicka has been months in the making, with many considering it a done deal until Milan entered the race at the eleventh hour after shifting their transfer focus to free agents. Tottenham were also rumored to be interested in the 23-year-old, however no offer was ever formally made. Spurs will now likely intensify their efforts to secure the transfer of current Roma centerback Roger Ibanez who has been linked to the Premier League club for some time now. The transfer is even more likely given Roma’s lack of financial wiggle room while under UEFA’s Financial Fair Play restrictions, as well as N’Dicka’s presumed role as Ibanez’s replacement. The only factor seemingly preventing this deal is Roma’s valuation of the Brazilian international between 30-35 million Euros, while Spurs are reportedly unwilling to pay more than 20 million.
Their attention will now likely turn to the striker position, which has become a massive need after Tammy Abraham’s torn ACL in the final match of the season. Alvaro Morata, Mauro Icardi, and Gianlucca Scamacca are among the names rumored to be possible replacements for the Englishmen to form a strike partnership with 2022 free agent signing Andre Bellotti. Scamacca, a Roman native and youth academy product, rose up the ranks of Italian football through a series of loans to smaller clubs during his run at Sassuolo before securing a £30.5 million move to West Ham in 2022. Despite scoring eight goals across all competitions, including five in his nine appearances in West Ham’s Europa Conference League run; Scamacca has fallen out of favor with manager David Moyes, making only two appearances in 2023 and is also recovering from a knee injury of his own.
A change of scenery is likely best for all parties involved, with Juventus and Milan also interested in the Italian. Roma would look to sign Scamacca on loan due to the aforementioned FFP restrictions, and its reported by Gianluca Di Marzio that Roma has contacted West Ham about a potential move.