Real Madrid offered first dibs on £40 million star despite Premier League club opening talks over summer move

Xabi Alonso has reportedly been offered a new signing who is on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs.

Real Madrid have already added to Alonso's defensive strength this summer, spending big money to bring Spanish international centre-back Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth to the Bernabeu.

Huijsen joins an otherwise ageing or imperfect central defensive group at Real Madrid and Serie A side Roma have apparently chanced their arm by dangling one of their centre-backs in Alonso's direction for a fee in the region of 40 million euros, according to reporting by Fichajes.

The player's availability could smoke out a response from the Premier League, where a clutch of clubs are believed to have been tracking the defender with a view to approaching the Italian capital club.

Fichajes reports that Los Blancos have been offered Paris-born Ivorian central defender Evan Ndicka, who joined Roma from Eintracht Frankfurt two years ago and has made more than 60 appearances in Serie A.

"The offer has come directly from the sporting director of the Italian club," writes Javier Parra Pena.

"Ndicka, who has recent experience in the Bundesliga and Serie A, is a profile that is well-liked in Valdebebas and has been monitored by the technical department for several seasons. However, the current scenario seems not to favour this move."

The 25-year-old clearly has admirers in Madrid but a club with a rich history of big spending on galactico attackers is unlikely to drop the thick end of £100 million on two central defenders while there are midfielders and forwards still out there playing for other teams.

Roma defender Evan Ndicka (Image: Getty)

Roma might have to rely on a bid from England, where Arsenal and Newcastle United were linked with an interest in Ndicka before the end of the Premier League season.

It was reported in April that Ndicka could leave for £40 million in the summer transfer window if the Giallorossi failed to qualify for Europe, with Nottingham Forest credited with a concrete approach for the Ivorian in April.

Now managed by Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma did qualify for the Europa League at the end of the Serie A season but it appears their willingness to sell remains.

Real Madrid haven't bitten, according to the new report, but their need for depth is obvious and exacerbated by their participation in the Club World Cup and the impending World Cup next summer.

Los Blancos will play their second group stage match against Pachuca in Charlotte on Sunday, with a showdown against group leaders Red Bull Salzburg to follow.

They drew their opening game against Saudi Pro League team Al Hilal.