Tottenham Hotspur are one of several teams interested in signing Evan Ndicka and now his asking price has been revealed...

What's the word?

According to German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau, any outfit keen to sign the 23-year-old will need to pay Eintracht Frankfurt around €50m (£45m) this month.

The likes of Premier League rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as European giants Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan have also been mentioned in the report.

It seems an awful lot to pay for someone who is out of contract in the summer, so there is a belief among some agents that they could seal his signature for as little as €15m (£13m), along with an annual salary worth €7m (£6m), which is roughly £115k-per-week.

He's shades of Maguire

Spurs could well find their long-term left-footed centre-back in the young French titan but should perhaps approach any move with caution. They certainly shouldn't sign him for an eye-watering £45m when he'll cost nothing in the summer.

According to FBref, the Frankfurt colossus bears similarities to Manchester United flop and England international Harry Maguire, who is still a world-record signing for a defender (£80m).

So not only are they alike in terms stats and potentially overpaying the odds but there are some more positive comparables, such as leadership, with the Paris-born ace being dubbed a "leader" who is "enormous" by Sport1 journalist Christopher Michel to ChronicleLive in the summer.

"For a central defender, Ndicka is extremely goal-threatening. He has 10 goals and 9 assists in 135 competitive games," he also stated before further claiming: "Ndicka brings an exciting complete package. A great defender!"

Currently, the 6 foot 4 centre-back ranks as Oliver Glasner's 12th-best performer in the Bundesliga this term, though he leads the squad for aerial duels won (2.4) and clearances (5.3) per game, via WhoScored.

This is similar to the aptly nicknamed 'slabhead' - who is still the captain of the Red Devils - as the same site lists aerial duels as one of Maguire's top strengths, whilst he has averaged four clearances per game over the course of his career.

Having never played in a top-five division outside of the German top-flight, it would certainly be a big risk to take a punt on Ndicka this month - or in the summer - but if anyone can transform a defensive player into a star, then you'd imagine it would be Antonio Conte.

Whether his striking similarities to Maguire are a good or bad thing remains to be seen but Spurs do have a desperate left-sided void to fill come the end of the season, so perhaps the Frankfurt colossus is the most cost-effective candidate out there for sporting director Fabio Paratici as he clearly admires him given the strenuous links.

AND in other news, Spurs in talks to sign Conte's perfect Deki alternative in £52m "generational talent"...