Chelsea have expressed an interest in Jean-Clair Todibo and could rival Tottenham and Man United to sign the France defender… but his club Nice are reluctant to sell in January

Chelsea have joined the clubs to express interest in defender Jean-Clair Todibo but his club Nice remain reluctant to sell in January. 

Mail Sport reported back in December that Tottenham had held talks to sign Todibo from the Ligue 1 outfit. 

He is also on the shortlists of Newcastle and Manchester United. 

The 23-year-old is valued at around £35m with his contract set to expire in 2027, having arrived at Nice from Barcelona in 2021. 

A graduate of the Toulouse youth system, the France international has enjoyed spells with the Catalan giants, Benfica and Shalke, before moving to the south of France. 

It comes as Mauricio Pochettino is looking to bolster his defensive options 

Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham are also keeping tabs on the defender

Having also made two caps for the French national team, Todibo has been attracting plenty of attention from clubs around Europe of late for his excellent performances in the backline of the Ligue 1 side. 

He has started fourteen of the games this season that he’s been available for in the French top-flight, having also made 46 appearances last season for Nice across all competitions. 

Chelsea, meanwhile, are eyeing up a potential move for the centre-back, with Mauricio Pochettino keen to bolster his defensive options amid the Blues’ recent misfortunes with injury. 

Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah are both currently sidlined, while full-backs Reece James, Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell are all out of action with injuries. 

Pochettino has previously been open that he expects Chelsea to be active in the January transfer window.

The France international’s contract expires in 2027 and is worth around £35million

‘Some movement,’ he said when asked about what fans can expect in January. ‘That’s a thing to analyse with the sporting director and the owner and see what we can do to change the dynamic and improve the second half of the season.

‘Our reality now is mid-table and if we want to go 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 less players but it is to see if perception matches reality.

‘If perception here (indicating one point on a line) and reality is here (indicating another point) then we are missing something in the middle. Sometimes it’s good, a reality check.’