Manchester United are believed to be showing an interest in Nice defender, Jean-Clair Todibo, with the Frenchman having been mooted as a new centre-back recruit for the Red Devils this summer, amid the uncertainty surrounding Harry Maguire's future at the club.
How much would Todibo cost?
According to Daily Mail journalist, Simon Jones, the Old Trafford outfit are likely to make 'further moves' after having agreed a £72m deal for Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund, having reportedly been 'courting agents and players' in their search for a new midfielder, a new goalkeeper and a new central defender.
With regard to their interest in strengthening the heart of the defence, Todibo is said to be among the targets being considered by manager Erik ten Hag, having 'come back into the reckoning' amid his strong showings in Ligue 1 of late.
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If United are to make a move for the former Barcelona asset, prior reports in Spain – via Football365 – have indicated that the 23-year-old could command a fee of around £26m, having spent the last two-and-a-half years back in his native France.
How good is Todibo?
Having begun his career on the books at Toulouse, it is fair to say that the 6 foot 3 titan's subsequent move to Camp Nou in 2019 failed to bear fruit, with the young defender having been restricted to just five first-team appearances for the Catalan giants, after spending much of his time at the club out on loan.
As Jones indicated in his report above, however, the £20k-per-week ace has been 'much-improved' since making the move to Nice in February 2021, with talent scout Jacek Kulig lauding him as "one of the most underrated CBs in Europe at the moment".
Also tipped to be "a big bargain" for any potential suitor this summer, as per Kulig, Todibo could represent a dream option for Ten Hag in front of recent arrival, Andre Onana in the sticks.
The demanding stopper only recently caught the headlines as a result of his rant towards former skipper, Maguire during the 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, with the former Inter Milan star having seemingly been unhappy with a 'slack pass' from the struggling Englishman, as per BBC Sport's Simon Stone.
A notable issue with the former Leicester City man in recent times has been his shortcomings in possession, with The Athletic's Adam Crafton notably stating during the FA Cup win over Fulham last season that the 30-year-old was "slow to release the ball" .
Onana – and the rest of United's defensive unit – should not face the same problems with Todibo, with the one-time Benfica and Schalke loanee particularly comfortable at playing out from the back as he ranks in the top 12% among his European peers for progressive passes and in the top 5% for successful take-ons, while Maguire ranks in just the bottom 47% and the top 38% for those same two metrics, respectively.
With United's new 'keeper seemingly "exceptional" with regard to his distribution – according to Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola – the 27-year-old will love the chance to be able to link up with a player like Todibo who will take the ball without hesitation.
Equally, the latter man also boasts the benefit of his ball-winning prowess which could help to ease the pressure on Onana between the posts, with the former France U20 international ranking in the top 8% for tackles made – a greater record than both Maguire (bottom 15%) and Raphael Varane in that regard (bottom 16%).
With that man Varane – who has endured repeated injury woes – also not particularly adept at playing out from the back as he ranks in just the top 48% for progressive passes and the top 28% for successful take-ons, it would be no surprise if Todibo was to quickly cement himself as the long-term partner to Lisandro Martinez, ahead of Onana.