Aston Villa and Newcastle United are monitoring the situation around Jean-Clair Todibo as he refuses to join anyone but Juventus.
That’s according to L’Equipe, who report that Aston Villa and Newcastle ‘remain on the lookout’ for the defender as he continues to be linked with a move away this summer.
The newspaper first explains how the defender is currently in limbo as West Ham were originally at the front of the queue for him and offering sums that Nice would have accepted.
He was initially keen on that move but has now changed his mind because Juventus have spoken to him and made their interest clear.
The defender now thinks that move would be the best one for him and is fully focused on making it happen. That’s a problem as Juventus are unlikely to get anywhere near what the Hammers have been offering, making a deal hard to get done.
Therefore, the player is stuck in limbo at this moment in time, waiting for Juventus and Nice to try and work something out so that he can get the move he wants.
The current stand-off could last for a while leaving the window for another club to ‘slip into the file’ and L’Equipe say that Atlético de Madrid recently made contact, while Aston Villa and Newcastle ‘remain on the lookout’.
The Magpies interest makes sense as they’ve been looking for a long-term partner for Sven Botman for a while, although they have signed Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer this summer already.
Aston Villa are already well stocked for central defenders, so their need is less obvious, unless someone like Diego Carlos were to depart.
It seems both clubs are only sitting on the sidelines keeping an eye on matters for now anyway, but they could be worth keeping an eye on if the player’s future doesn’t become clear in the coming weeks.
