Manchester United’s hunt for defensive reinforcements has been far from smooth with several roadblocks still to contend with if they are to sign their top targets.
As per recent reports, the club’s second bid for top defensive target Jarrad Branthwaite was rejected by Everton who are still sticking to their valuation of £70 million.
United’s pursuit of Leny Yoro is also likely to end in failure with the young Frenchman’s heart set on a move to Real Madrid.
Another long-term target who has been proven difficult to acquire is Jean-Clair Todibo of OGC Nice, a club owned by INEOS. It seemed it would be an easy enough deal to crack considering the shared ownership of both clubs, but UEFA put a dent in those plans.
Todibo’s United move off
As per their rules, clubs under the same umbrella cannot exchange players when playing in the same competition. With both clubs qualifying for the upcoming season of the Europa League, Todibo’s proposed move to Old Trafford fell through.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe refused to give up and tried to legally win the case for Todibo’s inclusion but it seems unlikely to work. And the defender wants a move this summer instead of waiting for one full season.
Juventus have emerged as the viable alternative as per Gazzetta dello Sport, who have claimed that the Frenchman has said yes to the transfer and is waiting for the Bianconeri to start the process.
West Ham were also in the hunt but despite their €35 million offer, Todibo refused to move to the Hammers, who have since moved on to Max Kilman of Wolves.
However, even the Turin-based outfit will not come close to matching United’s €40 million offer and will instead propose a loan deal with an obligation to buy.
Juventus eyeing Todibo
“The Nice centre-back, having fallen through the transfer to Manchester United, only has the Lady in his head. Todibo is aiming to move to Juventus as his teammate Khephren Thuram has already done
“Jean-Clair has asked his entourage to wait for the Bianconeri in this phase of the summer. The patience of the 24-year-old from Cayenne will not be infinite.
“The French Riviera club starts with a request of 40 million, the same amount that Manchester United had put on the table at the end of June. Giuntoli is confident in the good relations with the French to make another move on the Turin-Nice route. Juventus is aiming for a loan with right-obligation to redeem for Todibo.”
Whether INEOS decide to sell instead of waiting for one season remains to be seen. The former Barcelona star was close to a move to Manchester last season as well but even that did not pan out.
The Red Devils have been forced to look elsewhere and are currently eyeing Matthijs de Ligt to shore up the right-side of the defence.
