At 24 years of age, Jean-Clair Todibo has become one of the most sought after defenders in European football.
Though there’s no suggestion that current club Nice would welcome any bids for the centre-back, it appears to be a foregone conclusion that Todibo’s immediate future is elsewhere.
Given that Man United are now part-owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group, who coincidentally also own the French giants, and the Red Devils clearly need to up their game defensively, there’s some sense in a move for Todibo.
Since leaving Barcelona where he barely made a ripple in their first-team, the player has gone on to make a real name for himself.
It isn’t clear what his transfer price could be, though the fact he appears sought after would surely push the fee upwards.
Intriguingly, he isn’t fazed by a move back to his former club over one to United or anywhere else.
” Why not? I don’t regret it (moving to Barcelona), not at all,” he told French TV channel, Canal+ after a recent game (h/t 90Min).
“Barcelona is still a great experience. I learned a lot from Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet… It did me good. I discovered the very, very high level.
“I didn’t have the desired minutes because there were very, very big players in front of me. I also had a coach, Ernesto Valverde, who was under pressure, so it was normal for him to play Gerard Pique instead of an inexperienced 19-year-old.”
His words would therefore suggest that a move to Old Trafford despite the links between the two clubs isn’t a foregone conclusion.
United’s pitch will need to be such that it leaves Todibo and his representatives in no doubt whatsoever that a move to the Premier League giant represents the best for his career at this point.
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