Bio: Everything you need to know about Spurs-linked defender Jean-Clair Todibo
Who is Jean-Clair Todibo? Tottenham’s hunt for a new centre-half could be over already, so here’s all you need to know about the club’s top target. With the hamstring injury suffered by Micky van de Ven, Tottenham are in need of defensive reinforcements in the January transfer window. Based on recent speculation, it seems Ange […]
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Who is Jean-Clair Todibo? Tottenham’s hunt for a new centre-half could be over already, so here’s all you need to know about the club’s top target.
With the hamstring injury suffered by Micky van de Ven, Tottenham are in need of defensive reinforcements in the January transfer window. Based on recent speculation, it seems Ange Postecoglou may have already found his man.
Jean-Clair Todibo has emerged as a potential new Spurs signing of late, with Fabrizio Romano confirming the club had ‘opened talks’ to sign the Nice defender. So, how good is Todibo, exactly?
Name: Jean-Clair Dimitri Roger Todibo
Age: 23
Place of birth: Cayenne, French Guiana
Current club: OGC Nice
Former clubs: Toulouse, Barcelona, Schalke, Benfica
International appearances: 2 caps for France (Transfermarkt)
Club appearances: 144 appearances, 3 goals at both senior and youth levels (Transfermarkt)
(Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
Jean-Clair Todibo career stats
Despite only being 23, Todibo is fairly well travelled, having spent time in the top divisions in France, Spain, Germany, and Portugal. However, it wasn’t until he joined Nice that his career really started to take off, particularly in the last two years.
This season already, Todibo is one of the top performers in Ligue 1 across various performance indicators. He is in the top ten in the division for pass completion, with a 90.6% success rate; he has the eighth highest progressive passing distance in the league; his 1389 touches make him the third highest in that area; and he’s also ranked third for progressive carry distance (FBRef).
Last season, Todibo made 46 appearances for Nice, missing just four games across all competitions throughout the campaign (Transfermarkt). He also appears among the top ten last term for percentage of dribblers tacked (73.2%), touches (2514), progressive carry distance (5931km), and rather interestingly, had the third-highest successful take on percentage (71.4%), but he did pick up two red cards, one of the highest in Ligue 1 (FBRef).
Todibo also made his international debut for France in September, though he had been included in the national team squad from March onwards, but was left on the bench.
(Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
Jean-Clair Todibo’s strengths and weaknesses
Tottenham fans will be delighted to hear that Jean-Clair Todibo is the kind of defender who loves to have the ball at his feet, whether it be stepping out of defence himself, or playing the ball forward for a teammate—which makes him perfect for Ange-ball.
Don’t worry, though, Todibo is equally adept at reading the game and putting in a crucial tackle, too. He essentially has the awareness and positional intelligence of Cristian Romero, while having the kind of composure you’d find in Micky van de Ven. Todibo is particularly adept at using his pace to track his runners, staying on his feet, and plucking the ball away from an opponent.
In terms of weaknesses, the one key area of concern for Todibo is his prowess (or lack thereof) in the air. He rarely wins an aerial duel, which could be detrimental to his ability to settle into the Premier League. The 23-year-old also has a slightly worrying disciplinary record, which is the last thing Spurs need right now.
(Photo by Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
What are people saying about Jean-Clair Todibo?
In a recent post for Football.London, Rob Guest described Todibo as the “perfect defender” for Ange Postecoglou, and suggested there is “more to come” from the player in the future, too.
A tweet from Football Confidential unearthed a clip of Todibo displaying the kind of “super speed” we have come to expect from Micky van de Ven, and there is a suggestion that the rotation of Todibo, van de Ven, and Romero at the back could be huge for Spurs.
Remember that clip of Micky van de Ven, showing super speed for Wolfsburg?!
They’ve only gone and found one for Jean Clair Todibo as well now
Tottenham could soon have VDV, Romero AND Todibo as our centre-back options…
#THFC #COYS
pic.twitter.com/1si5keBWtG
— Football Confidential
(@footballconfid1) December 20, 2023
Meanwhile, Lilywhite Lab describe Todibo’s abilities as “mesmerising,” and there is a belief that he could prove to be “vital” to Postecoglou’s system thanks to his physicality, tackling, and agility. In terms of his place in the Spurs squad, the account insists Todibo “can 100% cover” for either Romero or van de Ven.
What do The Spurs Web think?
Jean-Clair Todibo appears to be the primary target for Spurs going into the January transfer window, and rightly so. He’s got all the qualities Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou require in a centre-half, he’s got room to develop further, and he wouldn’t break the bank. We really hope this deal can be arranged quickly.
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