Liverpool could potentially use Thuram to try and lure £26m centre-back target – report
Judging by recent reports, Liverpool and Manchester United could go head-to-head in a battle to sign a coveted French defender.
Nice-Matin have claimed (via GFFN) that Jurgen Klopp’s side are targeting a move for Jean-Clair Todibo, who’s believed to have been scouted by the Old Trafford club (Ben Jacobs for CaughtOffside), with a potential face-off ensuing between the two northwestern rivals.
The Nice centre-back – whose asking price is thought to be €30m (£26m) – isn’t the only player from the Ligue 1 outfit who the Reds are chasing, with transfer talks ongoing with his teammate Khephren Thuram (Football Insider).
READ MORE: Liverpool have Plan B ready if Khephren Thuram talks collapse – David Lynch
If a deal gets done for the France under-21 midfielder, Liverpool could potentially try to use him as an agent of sorts to see if he can entice his clubmate and compatriot to replicate his transfer route this summer.
Todibo’s stock may have fallen after his short-lived spell at Barcelona at the turn of the decade, but he’s rebuilt his reputation at Nice, for whom he was their second-most used outfield player last season as he exceeded the 4,000-minute mark (Transfermarkt).
He was clearly a much-trusted figure in the French Riviera, and he also earned huge plaudits from one-time World Cup-winning captain Lothar Matthaus, who said during a loan spell at Schalke 04 in 2020: “Todibo is the best centre back I’ve seen in a long time” (Tribuna).
The main concerns regarding a potential move for him are that he has never played on either flank, unlike some of Liverpool’s other defensive targets, while his right-footedness matches rather than complements Klopp’s existing centre-back options.
The Reds manager may feel it’s more imperative to instead bring in a versatile defender who could offer a left-footed central option, although the prospect of seeing him join United instead may disgust the Anfield hierarchy.
If LFC get Thuram through the door before long, he may be the perfect candidate to provide a trusted character reference on his current teammate.
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