Chelsea and Tottenham are in talks with Jean-Clair Todibo about a move this month, with suggestions that OGC Nice will demand a record fee.
According to Telefoot, Chelsea and Tottenham are in conversation about Jean-Clair Todibo as they seek the defender this month. There are complications in completing the deal as OGC Nice intends to keep the centre-back, and even then, they will demand a record fee for his sale.
Chelsea, Tottenham in talks for Jean-Clair Todibo
There’s a possibility that Jean-Clair Todibo could move to the Premier League this month, but OGC Nice have taken up a firm stance about a move. The French side are not interested in a sale now, but would be open to selling him in the summer.
Todibo has garnered plenty of interest from top Premier League sides, including Manchester United and Liverpool, but neither have activated talks to get any closer. On the other hand, Tottenham considered him a priority before they went on to sign Radu Dragusin, but Spurs could revive their chase and try to bring the 24-year-old Frenchman to the club.
The same goes with Chelsea, who are keen on the defender and could push for a late move this month. The Blues and Spurs are reportedly in talks with Todibo’s camp over a possible move, but they might have to find a way to convince OGC Nice to sell.
As things stand, Nice are in no mood to open talks with either club about Todibo, as they will look to keep hold of him at least until the summer. Yet, things could change between now and the end of January, as the defender will also weigh on his future before deciding on his time at the Ligue 1 club.
OGC Nice will demand a club-record fee for Todibo.
Telefoot goes on to suggest that should Nice agree to a sale; they would demand a club record fee for the defender. The story does not point towards a price point, which could beg several questions. For instance, Jean-Michel Seri became their record sale when he left for Fulham in the 2018-19 season, and that amounted to €30 million.
As for Todibo, there are already suggestions that the defender could leave for a price much higher than €40 million. Some stories insisted Nice would demand as much as €60 million, which would be double the price paid for Seri.
Either way, any movement points firmly towards the summer window, as joining Chelsea, Tottenham, or any other Premier League bigwig could carry the risk of the player playing less. Todibo would want to keep featuring regularly to stand a chance to feature for France at the Euros.