Chelsea are desperate to bolster their defence in January and Bobby Vincent of Football.London says they’re considering Jean-Clair Todibo.
The 24-year-old has impressed at OGC Nice this season and could be on the radar of many clubs.
Chelsea have a problem in defence
From the outside, it doesn’t seem like Chelsea need reinforcements as Mauricio Pochettino isn’t short of centre-backs. He has Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi, Benoît Badiashile, Thiago Silva, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr on the books.
But Silva is out of contract next summer, Fofana has been injured all season, and Chalobah could leave in January. Sarr hasn’t featured for 18 months either, so he’s expected to be sold if a suitor arises. Chelsea have defensive problems too.
Only seven Premier League clubs have conceded more goals than Mauricio Pochettino’s men in 2023/24. The Blues have kept just one clean sheet in the top-flight since October too, so they might need to bolster the backline.
Todibo has impressed since leaving Barcelona
Todibo was tipped for greatness after joining Barcelona in 2019, but he failed to make an impact at Camp Nou. The French international made only a handful of appearances in two years and was loaned out to multiple clubs.
He left Barcelona permanently in 2021 and returned to France to rebuild his career, but Nice was a risky move. They hadn’t finished higher than 5th since 2017, but Francesco Farioli has turned their fortunes around.
Nice are second in Ligue 1 this season and Todibo has been a rock at the back. He’s played a major part in Nice having the best defensive record (9) and most clean sheets (11).
Todibo has nine clean sheets from 14 league appearances while being second in Nice’s squad for blocks, tackles and interceptions.
The 24-year-old has been outstanding for Nice and could lead them to a Ligue 1 title, so would he be sold mid-season? Todibo’s deal at the Allianz Riviera runs until 2027 too, so Nice aren’t obligated to cash in early for cheap.
