Newcastle transfer news: Toon eye 23-year-old as future Botman partner

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Newcastle United are reportedly one of several Premier League clubs that is interested in signing Jean-Clair Todibo this summer.

Todibo currently plays in Ligue 1 for Nice, but could be on the move with Newcastle one of the clubs keen on securing his signature.

According to French website L’Equipe, the Magpies, Liverpool and Manchester United are three of several English top flight clubs that are keen to sign the 23-year-old centre-back.

The report adds that he also has interest from Italy too, with Juventus and Napoli both linked.

L’Equipe add that Nice are hoping to get £35million for the French defender, which is the same figure that Newcastle spent on Sven Botman last summer.

He has proven to be worth every penny, and now the Magpies are in the market for another central defender.

Jean-Clair Todibo could be Sven Botman’s long-term partner at Newcastle

It is set to be an exciting summer transfer window, and one position that Eddie Howe is looking to strengthen is defence.

He is keen to bring in a right-sided centre-back. Whoever arrives will provide competition for Fabian Schar, who has enjoyed a remarkably good season. Sadly, he has been overshadowed by Botman, who has been a revelation.

At 23, the Dutchman is the future of our defence, and will soon need a new partner. Howe will likely try to sign a young, right-footed centre-back with the overall goal being to replace Schar and become Botman’s new partner.

Todibo has the potential to do just that after an impressive season in Ligue 1. His career has been a bit of a whirlwind so far, with an unsuccessful spell at Barcelona setting him back.

But he has found his feet at Nice, and it is leading to rumours of a big money move away. He is the same age as Botman, which means they could be Newcastle’s centre-back pairing for the next 10 years if they work well together.

Newcastle were linked with Todibo last summer, and reports in France suggest that he is on Dan Ashworth’s radar once again.