Nice centre-back Jean Clair-Todibo has offered an update on his future amidst transfer links to Manchester United and Chelsea, as revealed by the Daily Mail.
Todibo has been linked with a move to the Premier League for quite some time now with Manchester United and Chelsea named as the interested parties. A move to the Red Devils in particular is considered a realistic prospect given Nice owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s recent investment in the English giants.
The former Barcelona defender has now offered an update on his future and said he doesn’t want to give ‘false hopes’ to Nice fans by suggesting he would stay at the club beyond this season. Todibo confirmed that he will make his decision in the summer and will announce it if he decides to leave.
The 24-year-old who was one on the books of Barcelona once upon a time has been playing for OGC Nice since 2021. During this time, he has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the league. Transfermarkt values Todibo at around £26.6m but with a contract until 2027, the Ligue 1 side will surely demand much more than that.
Speaking about his plans for the future, Todibo is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying.
“I am at Nice and we’re having a great season. I don’t have my head elsewhere. If I did it would be difficult for me personally and for the group too.”
“I feel really good at Nice. We’ll see what happens in the summer but we’re not there yet. I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I don’t want to give false hope. For now, I’m here at Nice.”
“Football moves quickly, you never know what’s going to happen. I’ll wait until the summer to make my decision. If my decision is to stay, I’ll announce it, if it is to leave, I’ll announce it too and I’ll thank everyone, but we’re not there yet.”
The next Raphael Varane?
Todibo has played 19 times for the French side across all competitions this season, even registering two assists. He ranks above the 90th percentile in several attributes including “Passes attempted”, “Progressive Passes”, Successful Take-ons” and “Tackles”. Clearly, Manchester United know what they would be getting here.
The 24-year-old is very much a ball-playing central defender but has the necessary physicality to go with it. In many ways, he could be the second coming of Raphael Varane. The French World Cup winner is a well-rounded centre-back but he isn’t getting any younger and physical issues have started to creep in.
Currently, Erik ten Hag has Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans as his first-team centre-back options. The last name on that list is likely to leave in the summer. Both Varane and Martinez have had a tough time with injuries in recent months.
Despite his recent upturn in form, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof do not inspire much confidence. Signing someone like Todibo could just be what the Red Devils need to bolster a struggling defence. The 24-year-old has all the making of a top centre-back and his ceiling in the game is high. Competing with Chelsea for his signature is not going to be a walk in the park and United will be hoping that they can use the ‘Sir Jim Ratcliffe connections’ to get this one over the line.
