Jean-Clair Todibo has won plenty of admirers at Nice (Picture: Getty Images)
Tottenham have opened talks to sign Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo but face competition from long-time admirers Manchester United, according to reports.
The two Premier League sides are both in need of a new central defender, with Micky van de Ven’s hamstring injury underlining Spurs’ lack of options at the back as Ben Davies and Emerson Royal have been forced to fill in at centre-back.
Tottenham still have Eric Dier on their books, though he only has six months left on his contract and is set to leave the club – either in January or the summer – while he is low down the pecking order under Ange Postecoglou.
United have a number of options at centre-back, particularly with Harry Maguire now having re-earned the trust of Erik ten Hag, but again injuries have limited their availability.
There are also growing doubts over Raphael Varane’s long-term future at the club, with the Frenchman slipping out of contention, and he has been linked with a January move to Saudi Arabia.
Todibo has emerged as one of the primary names on United’s transfer shortlist to come in and provide cover and competition, though Spurs also feel he could be the ideal addition to their defensive options.
According to Fabrizio Romano, it is the north Londoners who have made the first move and have already opened talks with their Nice counterparts.
Spurs rate former Barcelona defender Todibo very highly (Picture: Getty)
Todibo is not the only player Spurs are looking at, with the club also linked with the likes of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly and Genoa defender Radu Dragusin.
The 23-year-old is high up on Tottenham’s wish list, though, and the north Londoners have spoken to the player’s camp in the past few days.
However, a deal with Nice will not be easy and is complicated by the fact they are owned by Ineos – who are currently looking to finalise the purchase of a 25 per cent minority stake in United.
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When that deal goes through, it could help facilitate United’s move for Todibo, though the Red Devils’ swoop is thought to hinge on one of their existing centre-backs leaving the club first.
After an unbeaten start to the season, Nice have lost two of their last three Ligue 1 matches and fallen five points behind leaders PSG, with Todibo though to be open to leaving midway through the campaign despite their promising start.
Spurs want to get a deal wrapped up quickly, with Postecoglou confirming that any January moves would need to happen soon in order to gain the maximum benefit, with most of the club’s injured players returning shortly after the window closes.
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Jean-Clair Todibo has won plenty of admirers at Nice.