Jean-Clair Todibo could be the perfect defensive partner for Pau Torres as Aston Villa continue to try and push forward.
French media outlet Nice Matin reported on 28 July that Villa are one of a number of clubs that are plotting a potential move for the Nice centre-back.
It said the 23-year-old Frenchman is also being eyed by Napoli, PSG, Newcastle and West Ham, with the Ligue 1 side looking for a fee of more than £34.4million to consider allowing him to leave this summer.
That would be a decent chunk of change for the club to hand over for another central defender after already securing the services of Torres from Villarreal recently, but the names of some of the other clubs that are interested shows that he would add even more quality to a vastly improving squad.
Tyrone Mings had a return to form last season following the arrival of Unai Emery, while Ezri Konsa and the returning Diego Carlos will be in contention, but depth is needed when you’re competing in Europe after the club qualified for the Europa Conference League.
Todibo’s form for Nice last season is what has caught the eyes of a number of potential suitors, as he made 34 league appearances and helped his side record the second-best defensive record in Ligue 1, conceding just 37 goals across the campaign
Data from FBREF also shows the defender’s personal stats were also excellent. He was successful in 73.9 per cent of the challenges he made last season per 90 minutes, compared to a 69.2 per cent success rate for Konsa, 63.9 per cent for Torres and 45 per cent for Mings.
In terms of blocks made, the Frenchman also came out on top with 1.29 made per 90 minutes, while Mings made 1.14, Konsa 1.11 and Torres 1.06.
Those stats prove that he would certainly add a physical edge to the Villa defence and would be an ideal partner for someone like Torres, as he would provide a bit more physicality than the Spaniard.
Todibo is certainly no slouch on the deck either, though, as he recorded an 88.5 per cent pass success rate per 90 minutes last season, with Konsa tallying 88.6 per cent, Mings 85.2 per cent and Torres 85.1 per cent.
It’s clear to see he would be the perfect kind of defender to play in the Premier League and he could be an excellent addition to the Villa squad as Emery continues to try and take the club forward.
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