FEE AGREED: Man united have finally reached agreement to sign £45m superstar, medical booked already as player set to undergo medical tomorrow, announcement soon
Manchester United’s search for a new centre-back is well underway, with Harry Maguire appearing all but destined to move to London.
West Ham are working on finding common ground over personal terms and wrapping up a solid defensive signing for David Moyes after agreeing a fee in the region of £30m earlier this week.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, have opened their own search for Maguire’s replacement, as it’s understood Erik ten Hag doesn’t quite trust Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof. Eric Bailly’s position at Carrington is even worse and he is expected to follow Maguire out of the exit door.
With Lisandro Martinez the only reliable central defender at his disposal, the Dutch coach is pushing for another big investment in the backline.
As per Spanish outlet, Nacional, Ten Hag considers former Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo to be the best fit for his squad.
The 23-year-old Frenchman got a move to Camp Nou very early in his career, and as a result, struggled to instantly make an impact in a struggling and unbalanced Barca side.
Underwhelming loan moves to Schalke and Benfica followed before a return to his home country with Nice in 2021.
At Nice, he has established himself amongst the best defenders in Ligue 1 and appears ready for another shot at making it at a big club. However, the INEOS-owned outfit values him very highly and is understood to be demanding 50 million euros (£43.3m) for his transfer.
Regardless, Ten Hag is convinced of his qualities and is requesting Todibo’s signing even at that price. It appears the ball is now in the court of United’s recruitment team who also have to figure out a way to fit the signing of midfielder Sofyan Amrabat into their budget.
