Ligue 1 club place €60m price tag on player linked with a move to Liverpool and Manchester United - Reports
OGC Nice have placed a €60 million price tag on centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, amidst his links to Liverpool and Manchester United, reports Nice-Matin. Telefoot also reports that the Frenchman could end up becoming Nice's record sale by the end of the season.
The French outfit took this move to fend off any substantial moves from potential suitors before the end of this window. Apart from Manchester United and Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Napoli have also made contact with the player's entourage.
Nice director Florent Ghisolfi was asked about Todibo and fellow in-demand Frenchman Khephren Thuram by GFFN's Luke Entwistle last week. He answered:
"As we’ve said since the offset, we are working on stability, and stability is keeping your best players. JC (Jean-Clair Todibo) and (Khephren) Thuram are definitely that, as players and as leaders as they are vice-captains. We absolutely want to keep them.
"I hope they will quickly come back from suspension and injury and quickly bring their freshness, leadership and enthusiasm.”
Todibo had a relatively unsuccessful spell at Barcelona and on loan to Benfica but then followed it up with a solid loan stint at Nice. He moved there permanently for €8.5 million in 2021 and has grown in quality and stature ever since.
He is currently the leader of Nice's defense as they sit second in the Ligue 1 table. In the 14 games he has played, they've kept an incredible nine clean sheets, with the Frenchman marshaling the best defense in the entire league.
All in all, Todibo would be a top-class addition to any of the top Premier League teams. He would also provide depth and quality in defense for the long term as he is only 24 years of age.
Fabrizio Romano gives firm response to Thiago's Liverpool exit saga
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has dropped his firm response to rumors that have linked Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara with a move away from Anfield.
Brazilian club Flamengo were reportedly interested in bringing Thiago, whose father Mazinho is Brazilian, to the club in January. However, Romano was quick to rubbish all of the rumors in his X post as seen below:
Thiago's time at Liverpool has been severely plagued by injuries. He has been out since April 2023 with a recurring hip injury. Meanwhile, other issues with his calf, thigh, and hamstring have also kept him sidelined for prolonged periods of time.
Thiago has missed nearly 100 games for Liverpool since arriving at Anfield from Bayern Munich in 2020, which is a huge cause of concern at the club. However, it seems like a surety that he will not be moving to Flamengo this window.