Manchester United are set to renew their interest in signing OGC Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo in January,
Manchester United are set to renew their interest in signing OGC Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo in January, according to the Sun.
The Red Devils were keen on the 23-year-old in the summer but he wanted to remain in the Ligue 1 club to boost his chances of establishing himself as a France international.
Man United are still looking for options in the position despite their failure to sell Harry Maguire this summer, with a long-term injury to Lisandro Martinez forcing manager Erik ten Hag into the market.
The Dutchman remains interested in recruiting Todibo, who was dubbed ‘a very, very talented player’ by his former teammate Aaron Ramsey.
He has emerged as one of the best defenders in the Ligue 1 over the last two seasons, and the imminent arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the Old Trafford club could give him an advantage.
The British billionaire also owns Nice, which could help make a deal more straightforward.
However, Man United need to push for a permanent deal as Premier League clubs want loans between clubs belonging to the same ownership group banned ahead of the January window.
They also have to convince Todibo that he will feature regularly as he opted against a move last summer because he wanted to continue playing regularly at Nice.
He has missed just one of 12 league games this term and is one of the reasons the club are just a point behind Paris Saint-Germain in the table right now.
Todibo knows he needs to keep on playing regularly to make France’s 2024 European Championship squad, and that could prove tricky if he moves to Man United in January as he will be battling Maguire and Raphael Varane for a spot at right centre-back.
The Red Devils may need to wait until summer to have a chance of getting their man, but a winter deal could still be on the cards if Varane becomes frustrated with falling behind Maguire in the pecking order and seeks an exit
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