Jean Clair-Todibo hints at Nice exit amid links between Man Utd and Chelsea
Nice centre-back Jean Clair-Todibo has offered an update on his future amid transfer links to manchester united and Chelseaas revealed the daily mail.
Todibo has been linked to a transfer to the first division For quite some time with Manchester United and Chelsea named as interested parties. In particular, a move to the Red Devils is considered a realistic prospect given Nice owner Sir Jim RatcliffeThe recent investment in the English giants.
first Barcelona The defender has now offered an update on his future and said he does not want to give Nice fans “false hope” 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 once on Barcelona's books, 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 around £26.6 million but with a contract until 2027, the Ligue 1 team will surely demand much more than that.
Speaking about his plans for the future, Todibo quotes the Daily Mail.
“I'm in Nice and we are having a great season. I don't have my head anywhere else. “If I did it would be difficult for me personally and also for the group.”
“I feel very good in 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 am here in Nice.”
“Football moves fast, you never know what is going to happen. I'll wait until summer to make a decision. If my decision is to stay, I will announce it, if it is to leave, I will announce it too and I will thank everyone, but we are not there yet.”
The next Raphaël Varane?
Todibo has played 19 times for the French team in all competitions this season, even registering two assists. He is located above the 90th percentile across several attributes, including “Passes Attempted”, “Progressive Passes”, “Successful Attacks” and “Tackles”. Clearly, Manchester United know what they would find here.
The 24-year-old is a central defender who plays with the ball, but has the physicality necessary for it. In many ways, he could be the second coming of Raphael Varane. The French World Cup winner is a complete centre-back, but he is not getting any younger and physical problems have started to appear.
At the moment, Erik ten Hag has Varane, Lisandro Martínez, 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 Martínez have gone through difficult times due to injuries in recent months.
Despite their recent improvement in form, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof do not inspire much confidence. Signing someone like Todibo could be what the Red Devils need to bolster a struggling defence. The 24-year-old has all the qualities of a top-level centre-back and his ceiling in the game is high. Competing with Chelsea for his signature will not be a walk in the park and United will hope they can use Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 'connections' to get them over the line.
