Man Utd move ‘IN SIGHT’ for ex-Barcelona star

Robin Bairner

• 23 Aug 2023 10:01 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United are closing on a transfer move for Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo.

The Red Devils have been seeking an additional centre-back for much of the summer and have had Todibo on a three-man shortlist with Benjamin Pavard and Edmond Tipsoba of Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively.

L’Equipe reports that a move to Man Utd is “in sight” for Todibo, which has left Nice searching the transfer market for a replacement.

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There are, of course, stumbling blocks on the Old Trafford outfit’s side before a deal can be completed.

These are familiar for Man Utd fans, who have spent weeks frustrated that a deal for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat has not been finalised, despite the player clearly pushing for the move.

The ongoing uncertainty over the club’s takeover continues to pose manager Erik ten Hag issues in the transfer market, with Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund the only three permanent moves that have been completed with little over a week remaining in the market.

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Ten Hag’s movements have been restricted by a lack of funds, which have been hampered by the slow exit of several fringe players, including centre-back Harry Maguire, whose exit this transfer may still depend on.

Maguire has been relegated to fifth-choice centre-back in Man Utd’s thinking, with even left-back Luke Shaw now preferred in a more central area to the England international man.

Todibo, meanwhile, has been a strong performer with Nice since completing a move from Barcelona in 2021. The Ligue 1 side paid only €8.5 million for the player, who has since gone on to play 104 times for the club and has produced such strong performances for the Allianz Riviera side that he has been on the fringes of the France national team.

Nice will reportedly sell Todibo for a fee of €30m, which is a figure that Man Utd will find difficult to raise without player sales. However, everything else seems to be in place for a transfer.