Man Utd fight Liverpool and Newcastle for ex-Barcelona defender who comes with ‘hefty price tag’
Liverpool, Man Utd and Newcastle United are all reportedly interested in signing France U20 international Jean-Clair Todibo from Ligue 1 side Nice.
The 23-year-old progressed through the ranks at French side Toulouse and he joined FC Barcelona in 2019. He only played five times for the La Liga giants at senior level.
Todibo had loan spells at Schalke, Benfica and Nice before he left Barcelona to join the Ligue 1 outfit on a permanent basis.
The centre-back has been an integral player for Nice over the past couple of years and he has made 42 appearances across all competitions this term.
His form has caught the attention of clubs around Europe. Earlier this week, it was reported that Liverpool are interested in the defender, who wold cost around £26m this summer.
Liverpool seemingly have a fight on their hands as Man Utd and Newcastle are also “admirers” of Todibo. This is according to Caught Offside journalist Jonathan Johnson.
The reporter thinks the three English clubs “would have probably have an advantage” over other European clubs in the race for Todibo.
He also feels that Todibo “would be a good fit for a number of Premier League clubs”.
“Todibo is wanted inside and outside of France, he’s been of interest to PSG and I think he’s someone they’ll continue to look at, though he’d come with quite a hefty price tag,” Johnson told Caught Offside.
“I think the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle, his admirers from the Premier League, would probably have an advantage there.
“Equally, I think any interested club would be in quite a powerful negotiating position given that Nice are unlikely to have any European football next season. Their star names like Todibo and Khephren Thuram are wanted by a lot of top teams and it’ll be very difficult for Nice to persuade those players to pledge their future to the team.
“I certainly expect interest in Todibo to grow between now and the end of the season, and he’d be a good fit for a number of Premier League clubs.
“I think with the view of him looking to break into the French national team, he would benefit from maybe staying in Ligue 1 for a bit longer – he’s taken a bit of time to develop but he’s really coming along now and is starting to look more like the finished product at an elite level, so it’s perhaps slightly too early for him to make the jump to a top, top Premier League team, though that won’t stop them sniffing around this summer.”
READ MORE: Liverpool targeting ‘next Bruno Fernandes’ after making mystery Mac Allister bid
The article Man Utd fight Liverpool and Newcastle for ex-Barcelona defender who comes with ‘hefty price tag’ appeared first on Football365.com.