United in talks with Serie A side over landing 6ft3in colossus as outrageous swap deal gathers pace – report

The Boxing Day victory over Newcastle saw Ruben Amorim take multiple risks, and most of them paid off handsomely. Those surprise changes caught the visitors out, but there was one substitution that did not work as planned. Joshua Zirkzee, introduced in place of Benjamin Sesko, seemed like he was simply not interested in fighting for his teammates. The Dutchman lost all his ground duels and managed a mere four passes in 30 minutes (via fotmob). Soon after the horror display, news emerged that AS Roma are inching closer to a January deal. Joshua Zirkzee deserves to be sold Based on that performance, United fans won’t be too upset at losing the ex-Bologna ace. Interestingly, United could land one of Roma’s brightest stars as part of the proposed deal. As per AS Roma Live, during their talks with the Serie A side, United broached the topic of Evan Ndicka, who has turned out to be a huge asset for the Giallorossi. In 15 league games, Roma have conceded more than one goal only once, and it came when the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt ace was away on AFCON duty. He has helped keep nine clean sheets from 20 games he has started in. Signed as a free agent, the 26-year-old’s current deal is valid until 2028. As per the report, United could look to sign the Ivorian once Zirkzee’s loan becomes permanent as part of a direct swap deal or as part of a player-plus cash deal. Evan Ndicka as part of a swap deal arrangement “According to Asromalive.it, Manchester United have also included Ndicka’s name in their list of defensive targets for next season. “The Red Devils have other priority targets in the position, but the Giallorossi number 5’s value is still rising, and some exploratory soundings were also conducted during talks with Roma for Joshua Zirkzee. “As mentioned, United are primarily looking ahead to June and it’s not out of the question that they could try to bring in Ndicka if Roma actually have to pay the Dutch striker’s buyout fee at the end of the season.” Evan Ndicka makes a lot of sense for United Harry Maguire’s contract is up in the summer, while Matthijs de Ligt and Luke Shaw‘s injury record does not inspire confidence. United had delayed plans to strengthen at the back last summer, and Evan Ndicka certainly fits the bill, especially as he is left-footed and a colossus, standing at 6ft3in. He is a monster when it comes to winning aerial duels — figuring in the 96th percentile, and ranks in the 94th percentile for long passes among his peers in Italy (via fotmob). Feature image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25