Jean-Clair Todibo Scout Report: How would he fit in at Manchester United?

A new centre-back will be one of Manchester United’s priorities in the summer. United are said to be considering many players including OGC Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo, who United have a long-standing interest in.

Date of Birth: 30/12/1999 (23)
Position: Centre-Back
Strong Foot: Right
Height: 1.90 m (6ft 2in)

Who is Jean-Clair Todibo?

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Jean-Clair Todibo is a 23 year-old French defender currently plying his trade in Ligue 1 at OGC Nice. Todibo joined Toulouse in 2016. His performances there attracted interest from European giants Barcelona who signed the Frenchman in January 2019. During his time at Barcelona, Todibo had loan spells at Schalke, Benfica and finally OGC Nice who ended up signing him on a permanent deal in July 2021. 

When West Ham were in negotiations to bring Harry Maguire to the London Stadium last summer, Jean-Clair Todibo was one of the names on United’s shortlist to replace the Englishman. Maguire ended up staying, but Todibo has remained on United’s list over the last few months as the club prepares to spend a substantial sum of money on a new centre-back in the summer.   

United also seem to have concrete interest in Benfica’s Antonio Silva, Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba and Everton Jarrad Branthwaite, while Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt has also been touted as a potential option given Ten Hag’s admiration for the player. All those are top players, but Todibo would arguably be the best fit, as well as the best value for money option.

Strengths

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Todibo is an outstanding player and at only 23 years-old, he still has a few years of development left. One of Todibo’s biggest strengths is his ability on the ball. He is an extremely progressive player and is press-resistant. He therefore plays an important role in the first phase of build-up. So far during the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season so far, Todibo has averaged 5.47 progressive passes per 90 as well as 0.96 progressive carries per 90, which ranks him amongst the progressive centre-backs in France.   

In addition to his fantastic ability on the ball, he is a fantastic tackler and has averaged 2.12 tackles per 90 so far in the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season. He is also a good 1v1 defender and is comfortable defending in wide areas. Todibo is also a very decent ground duel winner and is very good aerially, an aspect of his game that has massively improved this season. Last season in Ligue 1, he won 57% of his aerial duels however this season, he’s won 66% of his aerial duels — a significant improvement. 

Whichever centre-back United signs, that player will need to be dominant aerially given Lisandro Martinez’s lack of aerial presence. Todibo would complement Martinez very well and the pair could form a formidable centre-back pairing.

Weaknesses

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One weakness in Todibo’s game is his discipline. Todibo has picked up 2 red cards so far in the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season. Last season, he was sent off 3 times in all competitions. Centre-backs are obviously prone to bookings, but 5 red cards over nearly two seasons is simply too many.

Where would he fit in at Manchester United?

Should Manchester United complete a deal to sign Jean-Clair Todibo, he’d be Raphael Varane’s successor. Varane’s contract at Manchester United expires in June 2024. While United do have an option to extend for 12 months, it’s been reported that the club would rather Varane sign a fresh deal on reduced terms. Varane staying could be a real positive for Todibo. He would be able to learn a lot from his fellow countryman and if the former Barcelona defender fulfils his potential, he could become a mainstay in United’s defence for many years to come, next to World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez.

Verdict

Todibo is an extremely talented defender and he’d be an astute signing. His reported price tag is around €50 million, potentially a little bit more, and at only 23 years-old, he’d be a very good value for money signing. He could become a prominent figure in Manchester United’s defence for the next decade should the Red Devils secure his signature this summer. He checks all the boxes and should be a priority target.