Manchester United have reportedly cooled their interest in Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite and are instead stepping up their attempts to sign Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice.
The Red Devils were heavily linked with Todibo towards the end of last summer's transfer window, but a deal would only have been possible if Harry Maguire had moved on, and the England international rejected interest from West Ham United to remain at Old Trafford.
There will be at least one centre-back acquisition at Man United this summer, but it is likely that two will arrive, as Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans are both out of contract, while there is uncertainty surrounding the futures of Maguire and Victor Lindelof.
Branthwaite has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford, but there have been suggestions that the Everton defender could cost as much as £80m.
According to TEAMtalk, Man United are currently pursuing a deal for Todibo, with the Frenchman potentially costing £40m during this summer's transfer window.
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Man United 'looking to bring Todibo to Old Trafford'
The report claims that the English club's interest is 'very, very serious', and there have already been 'numerous conversations' between the two parties over a possible move to Old Trafford.
Any potential move to the 20-time English champions this summer would be complicated by the fact that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS company own Nice and have now invested in Man United.
Todibo has made 27 appearances for Nice during the 2023-24 campaign, including 24 outings in Ligue 1, with Francesco Farioli's side sitting fifth in the table, five points off fourth-placed Lille.
The Frenchman started his professional career at Toulouse before moving to Barcelona in 2019, but he failed to make his mark at Camp Nou, only featuring on five occasions.
Todibo had loan spells at Schalke 04, Benfica and Nice while contracted to Barcelona, before completing a permanent move to his current side in 2021.
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Should Man United move for Todibo over Branthwaite?
There is no question that Branthwaite is a huge talent, and he has been impressive for Everton this season, but if the Toffees manage to stay up, the club are likely to demand a huge fee.
There has been talk of £80m being the centre-back's valuation, which is simply not realistic for Man United this summer, as the Red Devils also need a central midfielder and a centre-forward, while there is an argument that both a right-back and a left-back will need to be signed.
At £40m, Todibo would be a sound investment considering his potential and the experience that he has already picked up in the relatively early stages of his career.
It did not happen for the Frenchman at Barcelona, but he has developed into an impressive centre-back at Nice and could now be ready to make the step up to a major club.
Matt Law
