Nice boss CONFIRMS Man Utd talks with star player
Tom Weber
- 12 Aug 2023 12:23 BST
- 4 min read
Nice chairman Jean-Pierre Rivere has confirmed that Jean-Clair Todibo is in talks with other clubs over a potential transfer.
The centre-back is a hot commodity this summer. Having fully bounced back from an ill-advised move to Barcelona as a youngster, the Nice star has become one of France's most sought-after defenders.
With Harry Maguire on the verge of joining West Ham, Manchester United are in the market for a new central defender. Todibo is one of Erik ten Hag's targets to replace the erstwhile Red Devils captain, while Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munich is also on the list.
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As FootballTransfers has exclusively revealed, Ten Hag is leaning more towards the latter in his pursuit of a defender given Pavard's ability to also feature at right-back at an elite level, but he is keeping his options open.
Rivere confirms talks
Speaking to the media, Nice chairman Jean-Pierre Rivere has acknowledged that Todibo could depart the INEOS-owned club this summer, though he was bullish about wanting to keep him.
"Todibo? Today, we hope to keep him," he said. "We know that he is in touch with different European clubs, but our intention is to keep him. Afterwards, as long as the transfer window is not over, nothing can be said with certainty."
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FootballTransfers is told that, in addition to Todibo, United are also keeping an eye on his teammate Khephren Thuram, who had agreed personal terms with Liverpool earlier in the window, but the deal ultimately fell through.
Though Ten Hag's clear midfield priority remains Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat, Thuram is seen as a potential backup option and the Frenchman is still looking to leave the Ligue 1 side with just a few weeks left in the transfer window.
Both Thuram and Todibo featured in Nice's season opener against Lille which saw them concede a 94th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw.
