Newcastle United are interested in completing their defence by signing Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo this summer, with Eddie Howe preparing his side for Champions League football.
What's the latest on Jean-Clair Todibo to Newcastle?
According to French publication Nice-Marin – via Sport Witness – Nice have made their financial demands for the sale of Todibo following 'recurring' stories regarding Newcastle's interest in the 23-year-old.
The Frenchman has impressed of late after a challenging start to life with Les Aiglons, and Newcastle are keen admirers, with Premier League rivals Aston Villa and West Ham United also vying for his services.
The Ligue 1 outfit do not want to sell but are said to have placed a €40-50m (£34-43m) price tag on his name, and it's now up to Magpies technical director Dan Ashworth to negotiate a move after making initial contact.
How good is Jean-Clair Todibo?
Despite emphatically securing Champions League qualification last season and completing the 22/23 league campaign with the English top-flight's joint-best defence – conceding 33 goals alongside Manchester City – Newcastle are still hoping to bolster their backline.
Sandro Tonali has supplemented the midfield, arriving from AC Milan for £55m, while Harvey Barnes – who scored 13 league goals last season – brings directness and a goal-scoring threat to the attack after joining from relegated Leicester City for £39m – with Allan Saint-Maximin departing for Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli in a £23m deal.
But the back four remain undisturbed thus far, though efforts have already been made to sign full-back Tino Livramento from Southampton; Todibo would be a fine addition and could provide competition for Fabian Schar, who is 31 years old and entering the final year of his contract at St. James' Park.
Todibo would bring a new dimension to the United squad, hailed as a “rock” by talent scout Jacek Kulig – the same could be said of Sven Botman – but differing in his ball-playing ability, which is top-class.
As per FBref, the one-time Barcelona prospect ranks among the top 13% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 5% for successful take-ons and the top 8% for tackles.
This evidences his passing ability but also his tenacity and defensive acumen, with the different facets combining to craft a defender to be reckoned with and an ace more than capable of flourishing under Howe's wing with Newcastle.
And given that he is likened to Manchester United menace Lisandro Martinez via FBref's 'Similar Players' model, it could be an apt move to continue the upward trajectory of the club, who will be hoping to leapfrog the Red Devils – who finished third last year – and creep toward title contention.
Martinez has been something of a revelation at Old Trafford, with the £120k-per-week Argentine heralded as "one of the best signings" the club have made for years by pundit Patrice Evra, recording an average match rating of 7.12 (Sofascore), and keeping eight clean sheets from 27 appearances, winning 65% of his ground duels, completing 87% of his passes and averaging 3.6 clearances per game.
Diminutive in stature, the 5 foot 9 centre-half looks to have cast concerns over his height aside with a nonchalant shrug and lets his feats on the pitch do the talking, and given that he ranks among the top 6% of centre-backs for tackles, the top 5% for blocks, the top 15% for passes attempted and the top 11% for successful take-ons per 90, he's evidently in the top stratosphere of defenders.
Having been called an "absolute monster" by teammate Luke Shaw too, Howe might be wise to secure a similar profile in Todibo and rival Erik ten Hag's side in the defensive department.
Newcastle would only benefit from adding a new dimension to their already well-oiled defensive third, and it is a move that Howe must seriously consider, ensuring that progress does not stagnate this season.