West Ham’s Jean-Clair Todibo has emerged as a new defensive option for Napoli. This comes as the Serie A club continue weighing up reinforcements following Alessandro Buongiorno’s injury.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the French defender has now been added to Napoli’s shortlist alongside Juventus’ Federico Gatti, Chelsea’s Benoît Badiashile and Lecce’s Tiago Gabriel.
The report explains that Napoli are still planning to sign another centre-back for Massimiliano Allegri. However, any move is likely to depend on departures first. The Italian side needs to free up space in the squad before pressing ahead with a deal.
Todibo back on Italian radar
Jean-Clair Todibo is no stranger to interest from Serie A, having been linked with clubs in Italy before his move to West Ham.
Now, Napoli are again looking at the 26-year-old as they assess the market. Nevertheless, Di Marzio does not suggest talks have started or that the Hammers have been approached.
Instead, Todibo is presented as another name under consideration while Napoli decide which target to prioritise.
Federico Gatti and Benoît Badiashile remain firmly on the shortlist, while Tiago Gabriel is also appreciated. However, Lecce’s asking price is considered too high at this stage, making the situation less straightforward.
Another twist in a busy summer
Todibo has already featured in plenty of transfer speculation over the past few weeks.
The defender has been linked with Fenerbahce. Reports in Turkey claim the Istanbul club were exploring a low-risk formula to bring him in, rather than committing to a major upfront investment.
Before that, the Frenchman was also part of an ambitious idea involving AC Milan. During the winter transfer window, there were reports in Italy that West Ham had explored the possibility of including Todibo in a swap deal for Santiago Gimenez. However, that proposal never progressed into an agreement.
Napoli’s interest is now the latest chapter, but for the moment it appears to be at the evaluation stage.
The Italians are keeping multiple options open. They are expected to move only once they have created room in their squad through outgoing transfers.
