Man Utd find Lisandro Martinez alternative as Red Devils register interest in Jean-Clair Todibo; Newcastle also in pursuit
Manchester United have reportedly joined Newcastle in registering their interest for Jean-Clair Todibo, who is a centre-back alternative to Lisandro Martinez.
The Red Devils are vying with Arsenal to sign Martinez from Ajax. According to the latest from Fabrizio Romano, Erik ten Hag is pushing club officials to be ‘fast’ on the Argentine.
Arsenal are still in the mix and are working on a deal of their own, but Ten Hag wants him ‘strongly’. This could lead to Manchester United winning the transfer battle.
Of course, they will need to have alternatives in mind just in case Martinez doesn’t end up at Old Trafford this summer.
And former Barcelona player Todibo is on their radar, according to The Sun, who cite French outlet Foot Mercato.
The 22-year-old central defender left Barca in July 2021 as Nice paid £7.65million for him.
He went on to enjoy a top campaign at the Allianz Riviera, making 36 Ligue 1 appearances as Nice finished fifth in the table.
That will see them compete in next season’s Europa Conference League. But Todibo has the ability to shine for a bigger club and a summer exit is now on the cards.
Jean-Clair Todibo the subject of Prem interest
Nice are bracing themselves for bids after United and Newcastle registered their interest in the former France U20 international.
Sevilla and Napoli also like the look of him, setting up a four-club transfer battle in the next few weeks.
Of course, United capturing Martinez would probably see them drop out of the mix for Todibo. But as things stand, they remain in for both defenders.
Nice want to make a profit on Todibo after his impressive campaign and will request £17m to agree to a sale.
This is a decent fee for all parties. Nice will pick up around £10m in profit, while it is also an achievable sum for United and Newcastle to match.
Plus, Nice’s asking price isn’t too high so it won’t keep Todibo in France for any longer than he wants.
Official bids are yet to come in for the Frenchman. But this rumour is certainly one to keep an eye out for, especially if United lose out on Martinez.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils have come to an agreement with Dundee United for the transfer of a Wales international.
