Why Jean-Clair Todibo to Everton would bolster their defence
As per Record via Sport Witness (h/t Liverpool Echo), Everton have made an approach for Barcelona youngster Jean-Clair Todibo ahead of the summer. He just returned to Camp Nou earlier this month after a loan spell with Schalke in Germany.
Todibo, 20, came through the ranks of Toulouse’s youth system and after just 10 games with the club’s senior side, Barcelona signed him in January 2019. The highly-rated centre-back, however, couldn’t establish himself as the first-choice in the defence due to the presence of Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet and was sent on loan to Schalke.
Before he could make a name for himself during the loan spell, the league got suspended. The youngster struggled with an injury when Bundesliga returned. However, back in April, Daily Mail suggested that Barcelona are willing to offload the Frenchman to raise funds for their next transfer window. Thus, Everton should make a move for him this summer.
The Toffees, meanwhile, have managed to do better since the restart. The arrival of Carlo Ancelotti has brought in some optimism within the squad. However, the manager has a lot of work to be done ahead of the next season and he should bring in reinforcements to key areas if they are to do well in further campaigns.
Todibo – A future leader in defence for Everton
One area where the manager should focus on strengthening is the backline. The defensive unit has already conceded 48 goals so far, which is not good enough for a team vying for a top six finish.
Yerry Mina, Michael Keane and Mason Holgate are the only three centre-backs available at the manager’s disposal. While Holgate has done a decent job so far, Mina and Keane have been stretched on several occasions. Thus, the manager needs to reinforce their backline with youngsters who could be seen as future prospects.
In that regard, signing Todibo from Barcelona would do them a world of good. The Frenchman is a highly-rated defender and has all the attributes to succeed at the highest level. In the 4 league games he started this term for Schalke, he helped them keep 2 clean sheets.
He has also been a regular member in the French U20 squad. Signing him would be a boost to Everton’s defence. His inclusion would also bring healthy competition to the squad and the manager would have an extra option to choose from.
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Verdict
At 20, Todibo has a bright future ahead of him and with the right opportunities, he can establish himself at the heart of the Everton defence. At the same time, the Toffees need to add depth to their squad if they are to do better next season. Thus, they should lure the youngster to Goodison Park at the earliest.