‘I didn’t want to make a MISTAKE’: Man United summer target Jean-Clair Todibo reveals his thinking behind sticking with Nice, despite contact being made about £34m transfer to replace Harry Maguire
- Jean-Clair Todibo reveals why he chose not to join Man United this summer
- Erik ten Hag’s team wanted to sign the Nice player as a central defender
- Listen to the latest episode of the Mail Sport podcast It all starts!
Manchester United summer goalkeeper Jean-Clair Todibo has admitted he did not want to join Erik ten Hag because he ‘didn’t want to make a mistake’.
The Nice defender also stated that he felt he had ‘guarantees’ at his current club and did not want to step into the ‘unknown’ when pressed on the reports linking him with United.
Mail Sport reported in August that the Red Devils were eyeing him as a centre-half, with Harry Maguire almost leaving the club for West Ham.
The England centre-back ultimately stayed at the club despite David Moyes’ offer of around £30 million.
But when asked about the summer transfer window, while Todibo claimed he wanted to stay at Nice, he did admit he had considered a move to a ‘top club’.
‘I’m not going to lie and say that I haven’t had the thought to say to myself that maybe I should play in a ‘top club’ to increase my chances (of playing for France), but there are also guarantees when playing in Nice,” said the 23-year-old L’Equipe.
Jean-Clair Todibo (pictured) has admitted he ‘didn’t want to make a mistake’ when asked about rumors he could join Manchester United this summer
The Red Devils looked up to him as a potential replacement for Harry Maguire (pictured), who was heavily linked with a £30m move to West Ham.
Erik ten Hag’s side (pictured) secured a £34m deal for Todibo, but the centre-back has revealed he wanted to stay at Nice
He is also no stranger to top football. He was signed by Barcelona before being snapped up by Ligue 1 in 2021 after a successful loan spell at the club.
He made a total of 106 appearances in all competitions for Nice during his two spells at the club, with his contract expiring in 2027.
But when asked about the rumors linking him with Man United, he added that he was ‘waiting for the full project to be presented’.
‘I experienced it differently than my previous situations in my career. My thinking was much deeper and more thoughtful. I didn’t want to make a mistake in my choice. I stayed very calm,” Todibo explained.
‘Reflection is much more important than when I started. I am waiting for the full project,” Todibo added.
‘What is expected of me? Why am I coming? You shouldn’t join a club like that. I know what I have in Nice. Why go into the unknown? So everything must be clear. My first transfer I was 18 years old. There wasn’t that much thought put into it.’
The 23-year-old, who featured for France during last week’s international break, claimed he was ‘waiting for the full project’
Todibo has
The centre-back, who has made three appearances and registered one assist in the French top flight this season, has been attracting interest from English first division clubs for some time, with Untied reportedly one of the frontrunners to sign him.
A deal worth around £34million was touted for the defender, with United adding him and three other centre-backs to their shortlist of players to fill Maguire’s vacant position.
Those names included Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
