West Ham have launched an ambitious plan to sign one of the most in-demand center backs in Europe. The Hammers have reportedly bid €35m for Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo.
Sky Sports has reported that the bid was rejected. Other outlets claim Nice will hold out for €50m or more. West Ham’s current record record signing is Lucas Paquetá, who they signed from Lyonnais for around €60m.
Betting scandal aside, Paquetá rapidly became one of the best players at his position and helped West Ham reach another level. Todibo has the chance to do the same.
Kurt Zouma and Konstantinos Mavropanos are solid Premier League center backs, but neither are as good with the ball at their feet as Todibo. A player with the Frenchman’s skills will be essential to playing more progressive football under new manager Julen Lopetegui.
At Nice, Todibo played a big role in Francesco Farioli’s aggressive build-it-out-from-the-back tactics. He’s also physical enough to handle the step up to the Premier League.
Because of his obvious talent, West Ham are not the only club interested in signing Todibo. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Newcastle have all at one point been tracking the Frenchman. His former club Barcelona are also strong contenders to make a bid for him this summer.
With all that being said, West Ham seem the best-suited to signing Todibo right now. It would be complicated for Manchester United to sign him due to their relationship with Nice via minority owner Jim Ratcliffe. Newcastle and Barcelona’s financial situations mean they have to be selective with their signings and could prefer other players. Chelsea, meanwhile, have switched their sights to Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori.
As things stand, the Hammers are the only club with a clear path to signing Todibo. Whether they actually sign him though, we’ll have to wait and see.
