Aston Villa have enjoyed a whirlwind few weeks when it comes to transfer activity.
Unai Emery was forced to act swiftly in order for Villa to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations, which meant several players had to be sold before June 30.
This saw Tim Iroegbunam and Omari Kellyman depart the club to join Everton and Chelsea respectively, while midfielder Douglas Luiz is finalising his move to Juventus. These sales should give Villa some leeway in the transfer market in order to make a few signings of their own, and they have started well.
Indeed, Ian Maatsen has arrived from Chelsea, while Lewis Dobbin has also joined the club, as Emery has bolstered his team ahead of Champions League football next term.
It doesn’t look like the Spaniard is stopping there. Could he be about to make a concrete move for a defender who is attracting attention from several European heavyweights?
Aston Villa showing interest in Ligue 1 defender
How much a difference two years in football can make. Due to qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition, Villa are genuine contenders to sign some of the best players on the continent.
Recently, they have been linked with a move to sign French centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, who has been attracting interest from afar over the previous 12 months.
According to a report from journalist Sebastien Denis earlier this month, Villa are “very interested” in making a move for the defender this summer, but face some serious competition for his signature.
The same source has claimed that Juventus have already spoken to his agent regarding a potential move, while Bayer Leverkusen could turn to him as a replacement should Edmond Tapsoba depart this summer.
Borussia Dortmand are also keen, which suggests Emery will have to present a solid offer to the player in order to bring him to the Premier League.
He could be available for a fee in the region of £40m, which may well represent a wonderful piece of transfer business by the club.
This interest comes after he enjoyed yet another excellent season for OGC Nice in the French top flight.
Jean-Clair Todibo’s season in numbers
Such was his consistency, Todibo missed just four Ligue 1 matches all season, with just two coming due to injury (the others were due to suspension), suggesting he is usually always fit and healthy.
Nice secured a fifth-place finish during the 2023/24 campaign and Todibo was one of their finer performers.
Indeed, among his teammates, the defender ranked second for accurate passes per game (73.9), while also ranking second for accurate long balls per game (3.2), third for tackles (1.9), second for interceptions (1.3) and first for clearances (3.1) per game, demonstrating how effective he was at the heart of the defence.
Accurate passes per game
73.9
Accurate long balls per game
3.2
Tackles per game
1.9
Interceptions per game
1.3
Total duels won per game
4.4
Possession lost per game
9.9
Clean sheets
14
The Frenchman was certainly one of the standouts in a talented Nice squad, yet his displays saw him ranked highly when compared to his fellow peers.
Across Europe’s top five leagues, Todibo currently ranks in the top 4% for attempted passes per 90 (84.43), while ranking in the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.54). This shows that not only is he confident in circulating the ball, but he isn’t afraid of pushing forward whenever possible, bringing the ball out of the defence.
Todibo’s attacking capabilities are further evidenced by the fact he ranks in the top 12% for assists per 90 (0.07) and the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 (1.43), indicating that Emery won't just be signing a player who has a sublime passing ability, but one who could start attacks from Villa’s own half.
Now imagine a centre-back duo of Todibo and Pau Torres next season? It could help Villa progress in the Champions League.
Why Jean-Clair Todibo could thrive at Vila
Torres joined the Midlands side from Villarreal last summer and enjoyed an impressive debut season at the club.
Like Todibo, he is confident at playing out from the back. When compared to his own positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Torres ranked in the top 5% for progressive carries per 90 (1.53) along with ranking in the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.62), which shows just how forward-thinking the defender is.
Defensively, the Spaniard won 51% of his total duels in the top flight last term while being dribbled past 0.6 times and losing possession only 8.9 times per game, showing his all-round qualities at the heart of the defence.
Slotting Todibo in beside him could allow the pair to shine, both domestically and in Europe, as Emery looks to keep up the momentum that has been building at Villa Park over the previous 18 months.
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Landing some of the Frenchman’s quality – beating off the likes of Dortmund and Juventus in the process – would signal a major statement of intent and would give his side a massive boost.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig lavished praise on the player in January 2023, saying: “One of the most underrated CBs in Europe at the moment. Having a really good season despite Nice underachieving quite a lot.
“Superb build-up and defensive attributes. Complete package.”
There is no doubt he has improved since these comments nearly 18 months ago. No longer one of the most underrated defenders around, Todibo has built up his reputation by performing extraordinarily well for Nice during the previous two seasons.
A fee of £40m may sound like a lot on the surface, but if Villa wish to progress in the Champions League, they must spend on players who can offer instant improvement to what they currently have available.
Todibo hasn’t even entered into his peak years yet and there is no doubt that if he performs in the Premier League, they could certainly make a substantial profit on him after a few years.
Much will depend on how many players offload, but signing Todibo should be a key priority for Emery as the summer progresses.