Manchester United have repeatedly sent scouts to watch French centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Will Manchester United sign Todibo?
Despite having kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League last season, Erik ten Hag is yet to be fully satisfied with his defensive unit.
David de Gea is departing Old Trafford after 12 years as the club's number one, while Phil Jones has already left, and there are rumours suggesting Eric Bailly, Alex Telles and Harry Maguire may also be heading for the exit door.
Such an upheaval will dramatically alter United's transfer plans this summer and Ten Hag will now need to strengthen his backline.
Andre Onana will replace De Gea, while the Red Devils are already well-stocked at left-back, meaning the only position left to fill gaps is in the heart of the defence.
According to transfer expert Romano, one man Ten Hag may turn to is Todibo, the 23-year-old Nice defender identified as a target with great future potential and possibly costing approximately £39m.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Romano said: "They sent their scouts multiple times, I'm told, to watch Jean-Clair Todibo, who did very well in Ligue 1 last season. This is a player that they are following, but still nothing concrete in terms of negotiations."
After initially arriving at Nice on loan from Barcelona in February 2021, the defender made his move permanent just five months later and has gone from strength to strength in the south of France.
His impressive performances have seemingly caught the eye of Ten Hag and the fact that the Dutchman has sent scouts to watch him on multiple occasions suggest United like what they have seen from the 23-year-old.
United were previously linked with Kim Min-jae as a centre-back target but he is with Bayern Munich now, while Todibo's compatriot Axel Disasi of Monaco has also been linked to last season's Carabao Cup winners.
If United were to be taken over by Jim Ratcliffe, who is the current owner of Nice, then a deal may be more easily negotiated.
Who is Man United target Todibo?
After arriving at Barcelona for just £850,000 from Toulouse in 2019, expectations were naturally high for Todibo, who has been called a 'very interesting' player.
This expectation only grew when Germany icon Lothar Matthaus described Todibo as the "best centre back I’ve seen in a long time" during his loan spell at Schalke and praised him for his calm demeanor at such a tender age.
However, he only managed five games for La Blaugrana and, following another loan at Benfica, finally arrived at Nice. He has since made 103 appearances for the Eaglets, averaging a 6.94 rating on Sofascore in Ligue 1 last term.
One of his key strengths is his passing capabilities, something he showcased compared to other centre-backs in the French top tier last season.
Todibo boasted a very respectable passing accuracy of 88.5%, with a 95% and 94.7% short and medium accuracy respectively. He ranked in the top 6% of players for progressive passing distance in each match on average, highlighting his ability and comfort with the ball at his feet.
He is also a smart and competent defender who is very capable in one-v-ones. Todibo ranks in the top 11% of Ligue 1 centre-backs last season per 90 for tackles won, tackles in the defensive third and dribblers tackled.
Overall, Todibo looks like he has the potential to be a world-beater and Ten Hag may be the man to elevate his game to new levels.