According to a new claim, Manchester United is willing to enhance their offer to secure one of its summer targets in January.
Erik ten Hag brought in seven new players during the previous transfer window, with Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Jonny Evans, and Altay Bayindir signing on a permanent basis and Sofyan Amrabat and Sergio Reguilon joining on a season-long loan.
The Red Devils manager appears eager to bolster his options at center-back in the new year, and he’s already been linked with moves for Real Sociedad’s Robin Le Normand, RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba, and AS Roma’s Gianluca Mancini, but he’s got an alternative in mind if any of the three fails to materialize.
With a match rating of 7.23 (WhoScored – Nice statistics), Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo has clearly established himself as Francesco Farioli’s overall best-performing player so far this season, yet it’s not the first time he’s been on the radar at Old Trafford.
France’s international held representative talks about a move to the Premier League over the summer, and while a deal did not materialize before the deadline, the Ligue 1 side are now willing to part ways with the 23-year-old, giving chiefs the perfect second chance to secure the services of their target.
According to Spanish media (via CaughtOffside), Manchester United are willing to make a January bid for Todibo. Ten Hag is willing to up his bid for the defender, who is said to be one of his main priorities for the upcoming transfer window.
The M16 side were originally willing to table €35m (£30m) for the colossus, but it’s been suggested that they would be happy to boost that to €40m (£35m) in order to seal a deal, so this may be one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months.
Because of his height, Todibo provides an excellent physical presence in the heart of a backline, as he’s demonstrated this season at Nice, where he’s averaging 2.8 clearances, two tackles, and 1.6 aerial wins per game in Ligue 1 (WhoScored – Todibo stats).
The Cayenne native is also exceptionally cool and calm in possession, where he now has a 90.1% pass success rate, demonstrating that he can be just as strong with the ball at his feet as he is while clearing the danger off the ground.
Ten Hag’s target is sponsored by Adidas and has previously played as a defensive midfielder (Transfermarkt – Todibo stats), so his versatility to provide cover in positions other than his own will no doubt be an appealing trait to the board who will be closely monitoring his performances.
Todibo is the “complete package,” according to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and Manchester United are certainly serious about signing him if they are considering a second attempt, so it would be a tremendous coup if their long-term goal was to sign him in January.