- Chelsea have expressed interest in signing Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo
- It comes as Man United and Tottenham are also interested in signing him
- Mail Sport's chief football reporter Sami Mokbel gives the latest on Ivan Toney, Conor Gallagher and more It all starts
Chelsea have joined to express interest in defender Jean-Clair Todibo, but his club Nice remain reluctant to sell in January.
Mail Sport reported in December that Tottenham had held talks to sign Todibo from the Ligue 1 club.
He is also on the shortlists of Newcastle and Manchester United.
The 23-year-old is valued at around £35million and his contract expires in 2027, having joined Nice from Barcelona in 2021.
The France international graduated from Toulouse's youth system and had spells at Catalan giants Benfica and Shalke before moving to the south of France.
Chelsea have expressed interest in signing Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo during the January transfer window
It comes as Mauricio Pochettino wants to strengthen his defensive options
Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham are also keeping an eye on the defender
Todibo has also made two caps for the French national team and has recently attracted a lot of attention from clubs across Europe due to his excellent performances in the Ligue 1 backline.
He has started 14 of the games he was available for in the French top flight this season, having also made 46 appearances for Nice in all competitions last season.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are eyeing a potential move for the centre-back, with Mauricio Pochettino keen to strengthen his defensive options amid the Blues' recent injury setbacks.
Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah are both currently sidelined, while full-backs Reece James, Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell are all out due to injuries.
Pochettino has previously openly said he expects Chelsea to be active in the January transfer window.
The France international's contract expires in 2027 and is worth around £35 million
“There's some movement,” he said when asked what fans can expect in January. 'That is something to analyze together with the sporting director and the owner and see what we can do to change the dynamics and improve the second half of the season.
“Our reality now is in the middle of the market and if we want to move up, we have to push ourselves. When the transfer window opens we will see what we can do.
'I'm not saying I'm going to ask for more players or fewer players, but it is to see whether the perception matches reality.
'If the perception is here (which indicates a point on a line) and the reality is here (which indicates another point), then we are missing something in the middle. Sometimes it's good, a reality check.'