€35m Roma defender reaches agreement with Barcelona

Barcelona have secured a major defensive reinforcement after a €35m Roma defender agreed personal terms.

The Blaugrana are still pushing hard to sign their top‑choice centre‑back from Inter Milan, but the asking price being pushed by the Nerazzurri has made the operation “complicated”, prompting Barcelona’s recruitment team to fast‑track a Plan B from AS Roma.

The 26‑year‑old defender fits the club’s preference for a physically strong, robust centre‑back who can slot into a high‑intensity system and also provide cover at left‑back if needed.

The Roma defender now aligned with Barcelona’s project is Evan Ndicka, the Ivorian international whose contract with AS Roma runs until 2028 and whose market value is pegged around €35 million, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

Barcelona have already assessed Ndicka’s profile and are understood to be in a position to structure a deal that avoids the prohibitive 60‑plus‑million price Inter are demanding for their main target, Alessandro Bastoni.

While Ndicka’s game is more direct and physical compared with Bastoni’s technically polished profile, he offers the same core attributes: leadership, aggression and aerial dominance, qualities that would suit Hansi Flick’s 4‑3‑3 and Barcelona’s anticipated Champions League‑heavy campaign.

For Barcelona, moving for Ndicka would be a classic Laporta‑era cost‑balancing play: a sub‑Bastoni‑level fee for a ready‑made Serie A starter who can immediately step into the matchday squad.

For Ndicka, a move to Camp Nou offers exposure in La Liga and the Champions League, as well as a chance to anchor a defence built around young centre‑backs and a high‑pressing setup.

So far, Bastoni remains the top priority, but with the Nerazzurri pushing for a fee Barcelona is reluctant to match, the €35m Roma‑based defender could very well become the Blaugrana’s next Serie A recruit if the Inter deal collapses.