It’s not only cats who land on their feet. Jean-Clair Todibo tumbled out of the Premier League at West Ham United but, with Juventus interested, trip could yet turn into a cartwheel, complete with a neat dismount.
Hammers News can reveal that Juventus have renewed their interest in the Frenchman, having missed out back in 2024.
Not only that, it is understood that Jean-Clair Todibo is imploring West Ham United to accept the Bianconeri proposal of an initial loan deal with an option to buy.
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Say what you want about the sorry demise of Serie A; the once great Juventus targeting a defender who spent much of West Ham’s relegation campaign gathering dust on the bench.
And should he swap the Championship for the Allianz Stadium and one of Europe’s bonafide A-list institutions, you’d be forgiven for presuming Todibo could drop a fiver out of his wallet before finding a crisp 20 stuck to his shoe.
Why Juventus like West Ham United defender Jean-Clair Todibo
Todibo will leave West Ham under the darkest of clouds. The former Barcelona, Schalke and Nice defender refused to shake Nuno’s hand as he stormed down the tunnel following his first-half hooking at Newcastle in May.
Todibo’s conduct was nothing short of ‘disgraceful’, ex-Hammer Dean Ashton said. Especially coming so soon after he was sent off in similarly brainless circumstances at Stamford Bridge.
He hasn’t been seen even once in pre-season.
So what on earth would a proud disciplinarian like Luciano Spalletti want with him? A coach who has spoken publicly about the need to bring in players who can ‘elevate the team’s character’?
Presuming that Spalletti is willing to overlook the obvious flaws in Todibo’s mentality – one suspects West Ham’s number 25 is far from the manager’s first-choice anyway – there are certainly tactical reasons why Todibo would appeal to the veteran Juve coach.
Todibo’s stand-out attribute is his distribution. On the French Riviera, to quote former technical director Tim Steidten, he was ‘one of the finest ball-playing centre-halves in Ligue 1’
Todibo was among the weakest Premier League centre-backs when it comes to winning aerial duels; most of his best work coming with the ball at his feet. This, interestingly, is an area Spalletti considers his current Juventus defenders – particularly Bremer and Lloyd Kelly – to be lacking.
“We have Bremer and Kelly, two excellent defenders with strong individual qualities, who are superb in duels, strength, and defensive duties. However, perhaps in terms of build-up play, in their ability to initiate attacks and create, they fall short,” Spalletti said following a 1-1 draw with already-relegated Hellas Verona in May.
“It’s not their natural characteristic. These are qualities we must live with.”
Todibo might be a good fit for Luciano Spalletti in Serie A
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To succeed, Spalletti’s football needs centre-halves capable of breaking the lines. While guiding Napoli to their first Scudetto title since the glory days of Diego Maradona, Spalletti partnered Kim Min-Jae with Amir Rrahmani; two confident, positive passers of the ball.
Neither Bremer nor Kelly possess the same adventurous streak or reliability in possession.
“We need a defender who can play the ball dynamically,” former Juve striker Fabrizio Ravanelli told Tuttosport this week, having talked about the issue with Spalletti himself.
“We’re too predictable in our play. I also discussed this with Spalletti, and he agreed with me. There needs to be a leap in quality in this regard.”
In an ideal world, Spalletti would reunite with Kim in Turin. There appears to be little chance of Bayern Munich letting the South Korean go this summer, however.
Bologna’s Jhon Lucimi and AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori have been linked too and remain candidates. Juventus also showed an interest in bringing former youth player Tarik Muharemovic back from Sassuolo, prior to his £34 million move to Leeds.
Due to a sell-on clause in his contract, Juventus at least banked £15 million from Muharemovic’s Elland Road switch. Money that could yet be used to offer Jean-Clair Todibo a way out of West Ham, provided those other targets prove unattainable or unaffordable.
When that apple clonked Sir Isaac Newton on the head, it seems he did not learn every single thing about the mystery of gravity. If you are lucky enough, and if Juventus are desperate enough, you can fall upwards.
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