Liverpool scouts in attendance to watch OGC Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo
According to Fabrizio Romano via Twitter, Liverpool scouts along with their counterparts at Newcastle and Manchester United, were in attendance at the Ligue 1 game between OGC Nice and Stade Rennais to monitor Nice’s 23-year-old centreback Jean-Clair Todibo.
The player, who is yet to feature for France’s national team, has made 42 appearances across all competitions this season. Even during his days at Barcelona, Todibo stood touted as among the best youngsters in the world.
The news that Liverpool scouts are keeping an eye on him is certainly a positive development. The likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip are ageing plus Joe Gomez does not have a certain future at the club. With the likes of Nat Phillips also seeming to leave the club at the end of the summer, we would only have Ibrahima Konate in our ranks as a young centre-back.
According to Fabrizio Romano’s Twitter, Jean-Clair Todibo could cost the Reds up to €45m and given how we could let Matip move on and Gomez occasionally play right-back, this amount certainly doesn’t seem too much to secure a player who could see himself become extremely vital at Liverpool.
Do Liverpool need a new centre-back?
However, the only set of people who need to understand the need for reinforcement and depth at the club are the owners. The need for a left-sided centre-back is not new at Liverpool, and even though Todibo plays on the right, he can play out with his left foot as we have seen.
He often moves out of his position to stop the other team’s attempts to attack. He tries to make it difficult for the other team’s forwards to control the ball and move around by getting in their way and putting pressure on them. This makes it harder for them to play their game.
If Liverpool includes Todibo in the team with Konate, they could have France’s future centre-back pairing. Todibo and Konate would work well together because their individual strengths would complement each other.
Additionally, having a French connection could potentially help them bond off the field as well. It would be amazing to see them play together.
More Liverpool News:
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- Di Marzio says Liverpool are very keen on signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella
- Liverpool told to buy new right-back as Trent Alexander-Arnold should shift to midfield
He has shown great potential and talent as a centre-back, and it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop and improve his game. With top clubs linked with a move for the player, it would certainly be interesting to see where he ends up. Todibo’s contract with his current employer ends only in 2027 (Transfermarkt).
