Man Utd still hope: Ratcliffe rejects Todibo bid from Premier League rivals

Tom Weber

Updated: 2 Jul 2024 21:40 BST
4 min read

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Jean-Clair Todibo, Nice — © IMAGO

Nice have rejected a €35 million bid from West Ham for Jean-Clair Todibo, according to French media.

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The centre-back has been in the news a lot in recent weeks. A long-time Man Utd target, the Red Devils appeared to have a free run at Todibo after Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake in the club.

As the INEOS chief also owns Nice, many thought that a deal between the two sides would be straightforward. But then UEFA stepped in. Due to the two sides sharing the same owner and competing in the Europa League next term, they are prohibited from doing business with each other.

This news broke after Man Utd and Nice had agreed on all the formalities for Todibo's transfer and Ratcliffe even publically criticised UEFA for this, expressing his frustration at the fact that Todibo can be sold to every Premier League club except Man Utd.

Since then, it has been claimed that INEOS could take the matter before the Court of Arbitration for Sport as they still retain hope of signing the Frenchman.

Nice reject Todibo bid

According to L'Equipe, Nice have now rejected a €35m opening offer for Todibo from Premier League outfit West Ham. While the French outlet makes no mention of Man Utd, HITC claims that the Red Devils are still trying to secure a positive outcome for themselves with regard to a move for the defender.

The news of Nice rebuffing West Ham certainly suggests that this is the case, though it is entirely possible that the Hammers will break the Ligue 1 side's resolve should they return with an improved bid. It has been suggested that Nice would be prepared to sell Todibo for €40m, a significantly higher figure than his €22.8m Estimated Transfer Value (ETV).

It remains to be seen whether Man Utd will truly try to take legal action against UEFA. But Nice refusing to budge - for now - has bought Ratcliffe and company some more time to consider all their options.

Man Utd, meanwhile, are closing in on a deal to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich, but they will potentially be in the market for a second new centre-back, especially in light of talkSPORT reporting that they are once again looking to sell Harry Maguire.