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Manchester United will now turn to signing a defender or two before the transfer window slams shut in just three weeks.
Erik ten Hag has already signed Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund, giving his team a new look spine, yet the focus now turns to defensive reinforcements.
Benjamin Pavard has been strongly linked, however, could it be a deal for Jean-Clair Todibo that will be the priority for Ten Hag over the coming days?
How much will Jean-Clair Todibo cost Man United?
According to The Athletic, United are looking at defensive reinforcements and Todibo, along with Pavard, are top of the list.
The Nice defender has been tracked by scouts at the Red Devils, and he could cost as little as €30m (£26m) this summer, representing excellent value.
The need for another centre-back has heightened due to the fact that Harry Maguire is edging closer to securing a move to West Ham United following four years at Old Trafford.
Todibo’s former club, Barcelona, have also been offered the chance to sign the Frenchman during the transfer window, yet it appears as though United are in the ascendancy with regard to a potential swoop.
Could Jean-Clair Todibo improve Manchester United?
The 23-year-old has already played in Ligue 1, La Liga, and the Bundesliga across his short career so far, yet it is at Nice where he has made the biggest impression.
He has racked up 103 appearances over just three seasons and the Frenchman has also been likened to a World Cup-winning United centre-back – Raphael Varane.
Writing in his Substack column, Jonathan Johnson said: ‘I do think there is the potential that Todibo makes that kind of Man United move in the near future and if the Manchester club do get him, I think there are some similarities with Raphael Varane in many ways.’
It certainly isn’t a bad comparison considering just how impressive Varane has been over the previous decade. The 30-year-old has won a plethora of honours, including four Champions League titles, three Spanish titles with Real Madrid and steering France to glory at the 2018 World Cup.
Indeed, WhoScored lists concentration as being a major strength for both Todibo and Varane and it’s evident that the younger defender could be an ideal heir to the former Madrid player in the coming years.
Additionally, the former Barcelona starlet has actually registered a higher pass completion rate (88.5% to 86.3%) than Varane, while also winning a higher percentage of challenges (73.2% to 41.2%) and winning more tackles (48 to nine) indicating that he was not only a reliable passer, but strong in the challenge and looked to win the ball back as often as possible.
When compared to positional peers across the top five European leagues, Todibo also ranked in the top 15% for progressive passes per 90, and in the top 10% for tackles and successful take-ons per 90, suggesting that his forward-thinking approach would be an ideal fit for Ten Hag’s tactical system.
Varane missed a total of 32 games across his first two seasons at United and given that he will turn 31 towards the end of the forthcoming campaign, Ten Hag must be eyeing up someone who could turn into a perfect heir.
The Nice gem has shades of Varane about him and over the previous 12 months, he has certainly proven his worth on the continent.
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