Manchester United must move quickly in the pursuit of Jean-Clair Todibo amid reports that Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement with Nice over a January transfer.
The Frenchman was on United’s radar during the closing stages of the summer transfer window, but a move did not materialise after they were unable to recoup sufficient funds.
The club were aiming to part ways with Harry Maguire amid interest from West Ham United, but the England ace decided to fight for his future under manager Erik ten Hag.
This has not ended the speculation linking Todibo with a move to Old Trafford, but there is now a fresh twist to the story with Spurs looking to beat United in the transfer race.
Journalist Ignazio Genuardi claims that Spurs favour the track leading to Todibo and went on further to state that there is already an agreement in place with the French outfit.
As things stand, there has been no official confirmation and we believe United should step up their pursuit of the 23-year-old to avoid missing out on his signature to Spurs.
Todibo would be a top-class acquisition for Man Utd
United confirmed on Christmas Eve that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has purchased a 25 per cent stake at the club and the 71-year-old will be in charge of the footballing operations in future.
However, the Premier League approval of the deal could take between four to six weeks. There is no guarantee that the agreement will be ratified before the winter transfer deadline.
United could still have an edge over Spurs in the pursuit, considering Ratcliffe is the owner of Nice.
A straight loan may not be approved by the Premier League with the takeover process. There could be a conflict of interest with Ratcliffe’s investment yet to be rubber-stamped.
In our view, United’s chances of signing Todibo would depend on matching Spurs’ offer on the table. It has been reported that Nice are looking for around €40 million to sell.
Todibo would be a top-class acquisition for United. He averages 80 passes per game with an accuracy of 91 per cent this term.
The former Barcelona man has made a stunning 7.9 recoveries per game while winning almost 60 per cent of his overall duels.
He has also averaged 1.9 tackles and 3.2 clearances. Todibo could be seen as a potential successor to compatriot Raphael Varane.
Varane has been linked with a reunion with Real Madrid. A move could materialise if Todibo were to make the switch to Old Trafford.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
