An update has emerged on Newcastle United's interest in Evan Ndicka heading into the summer transfer window...
What's the talk?
According to The Sun, the Magpies are looking at the Frankfurt defender as a possible alternative to Sven Botman, with Dan Ashworth plotting a bid for the gem if they fail to land the Lille enforcer.
The report claims that the Frenchman, who is valued at £20m, would come in as competition for Dan Burn on the left side of the centre-back partnership.
Huge Burn upgrade
If Ashworth can get a deal for the machine over the line then he will be signing a huge upgrade on the ex-Brighton man for Eddie Howe to work with.
Ndicka is coming off the back of an excellent season in the Bundesliga and would arrive as a quality player with the potential to get better in the future.
Former Frankfurt player Alexander Schur claimed the Frenchman "shows no nerves" and his former boss Adi Hutter once heaped praise on him, saying: "I honestly have to say that I was surprised by his development. Evan has developed phenomenally. He's very attentive in the analysis of his own game. He's very modest and always takes a lot on board."
In the German top-flight, he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.12. He also won 6.2 duels and made 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game for Frankfurt as he showcased his defensive quality week-in-week-out with strong performances.
Burn, meanwhile, averaged a score of 6.98 in the Premier League. The giant centre-back won 5.0 duels and made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, suggesting that Ndicka performs to a higher standard on a regular basis and is more active in his defensive actions.
The Frankfurt man also provides a threat in possession. He ended the league campaign with four goals and four assists, whilst completing 84% of his passes, as he made himself a force in the opposition's box as well as his own.
Whereas, Burn managed one goal and one assist, completing 80% of his passes, for Brighton and Newcastle combined.
At the age of 22, he is also eight years younger than the Englishman and this means that he has more scope for development moving forwards. He is in the early stages of his career, rather than heading towards the end of it, and this means that he is a player Howe can work with over the course of a number of years - helping him to fulfil his potential.
In conclusion, Ndicka can offer Newcastle more than Burn defensively, in the final third, and in the future and that is why he would be a huge upgrade on the 30-year-old.