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Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan N’Dicka has been linked with a move to several Premier League clubs in recent weeks, most notably Arsenal and Southampton.
But is the young Frenchman ready for that move? Here we look at the attributes that make the defender a target for these clubs in need of defensive reinforcements.
This scouting report will consist of two aspects; an ‘Eye Test’ – looking at his performance against Bayern Munich in the DFB Pokal – the toughest of opponents in Germany. We will also take a dive into his data from the rest of the 19/20 season and paint a picture as to what makes him such a wanted asset.
Name: Obite Evan N’Dicka
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Previous Clubs: Auxerre
DOB: August 20 1999
Position: CB/LB
The Eye Test
N’Dicka started the game in a back three, deployed on the left hand side of the trio. The role provided the Frenchman with the ability to cover for the wing back, due to his experience in playing in that position. In the early minutes he was seen commanding his teammates on who to mark as they dealt with the movement of Bayern’s forward players.
An example of the positioning sense and pace held by N’Dicka was displayed early as he beat the lively Kingsley Coman in a foot race in the opening stages.
A momentary lapse meant N’Dicka lost sight of Coman at the back post, giving his opposite a glorious chance to put Bayern 2-0 up, as Coman exploited the space between N’Dicka and Timothy Chandler at full back.
N’Dicka made significant contributions in terms of last ditch defending to ensure the game stayed at 1-0 for the first half, his desire to defend was clear to see, making vital clearances from within the penalty area and making himself big to block a shot from Robert Lewandowski.
The second half saw Frankfurt squeeze further up the pitch, with the defensive line sat on the halfway line, N’Dicka often showing his ability to track runners and close up the space left behind the defence when Bayern attempted to break through.
The license given to take the game to Bayern helped N’Dicka show his proactive side, the defender was an aggressive winner of the ball, attacking it at every opportunity. On occasion, this desire to win the ball led to the defender either being caught out of position when the ball was shifted quickly in small spaces where a more experienced head may have read the situation.
The Data
N’Dicka has made 18 appearances for Frankfurt this season, starting 16 of those games deployed either as a central defender or a left back.
Using data and visuals from Soccerment, we can compare the young Frenchman to a recent signing Arsenal made for the future in William Saliba.
Using the defender template, it is shown by the data that N’Dicka boasts similar stats to Saliba over the course of the season so far, with the Frankfurt man contributing to greater chances created due to his deployment at left back.
Completing 84.2% of his dribble attempts and 1.1 dribbles per 90, he is perfectly capable of bringing the ball out from defence and advancing the play, an attribute which is highly sought after in the modern central defender. Note that the sides linked with a move for the defender, Arsenal and Southampton, currently use David Luiz and Jack Stephens in these roles.
A key aspect of the modern defender is to be involved with the build up of attacks, their passing has to be accurate and forward thinking. The graphic below shows how often N’Dicka looks to move the ball forward, with 44% of his passes advancing the play.
His aerial duels are nothing to be sniffed at either, winning over half (54.7%) of these. Compare this to the highly rated 23-year-old Fikayo Tomori of Chelsea, who wins a similar amount with exactly 55%.
Summary
Against Bayern Munich, the defender was under immense pressure for the duration of the game and battled for everything that was thrown at him despite the defeat.
At 20-years-old, the Frenchman has a lot to learn and improve on, but the talent is there to see. His desire to defend would make him a great fit for the Premier League.
Although it is to be noted that with the improvements needed, it would be better for his development to arrive at a club who thrive on developing young players, rather than relying on N’Dicka to be the linchpin of a defensive unit.
