Who is Jean-Clair Todibo? Tottenham's marquee centre-back target

 

"We still need to sign another centre-back," Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said earlier this month. Having watched Cristian Romero come off at half time against Everton on Saturday, his position hasn't changed. If anything, the Argentine's absence in the second half in the narrow win over the Toffees reinforced his desire to add another body at the back next month. 

 

A host of centre-backs have been linked with a January move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Lloyd Kelly, Tosin Adarabioyo and Marc Guehi the Premier League experienced trio supposedly on the club's radar, but the marquee target is Nice star Jean-Clear Todibo. The 23-year-old has been a key man in their impressive start to the season, with Nice currently just five points behind league leaders PSG having conceded fewer goals (9) than any other team. 

 

Only two centre-backs have a better WhoScored rating than Todibo (7.03) in France's top tier this term and while Nice will command a hefty fee for the youngster, Spurs are aware they need to add top-quality faces to a key area of the pitch. Todibo himself is reportedly keen on a move to Postecoglou's side and Spurs' interest in the centre-back shouldn't come as a surprise. 

 

Spurs under Postecoglou play a more controlling game than they did under predecessor Antonio Conte as the north London side rank third for possession (60.4%) in the Premier League. In addition, a pass success rate of 87.8% also ranks third in the division. They build attacks from the back with the centre-backs key. Indeed, Romero (72.9) and Micky van de Ven (63.8) rank first and third, respectively, for passes per game for Spurs. 

 

In theory, then, Todibo would slot in well at the back for Postecoglou's side. Nice may not dominate opponents to the same level as Spurs in the Premier League, but do look to the centre-backs to play out from the back. Todibo's average of 88.7 passes per game is the third most in Ligue 1 this season behind PSG's Marquinhos (92.8) and club teammate Dante (92.6). Crucially, though, is that the France international's ability to pick out a teammate isn't restricted to just retaining possession for the sake of it. 

 

 

Rather, Todibo looks to set his side on the front foot, advancing the play to get Nice up the pitch. It's not a surprise that only Dante (561) has made more forward passes than Todibo (432) in France's top tier this term. Meanwhile, 58 accurate long balls is the ninth most of outfielders in the division. There is range combined with accuracy to his distribution. For a Spurs side that maximises the attacking prowess of full-backs Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro, the willingness to get the ball to the offensive pair would help the capital outfit stretch opponents.  

 

However what is crucial for a centre-back playing in Postecoglou's high defensive line is that they are able to cover distance to make up the space when the backline pushes up. Spurs play a high defensive line and a key reason for the successful pursuit of Van de Ven was the Dutchman's recovery speed and ability to make up the yards should opponents get the ball in behind the defence. 

 

It's part of the reason why Postecoglou has favoured full-backs Emerson Royal and Ben Davies at the heart of the defence in the respective absence of Van de Ven and Romero in place of Eric Dier, a centre-back by trade, due to the latter's lack of pace. Todibo, though, has the athleticism to provide sufficient cover in defence in the same vein as Van de Ven, which explains the desire to pursue the former's services. 

 

Favouring the right side of the defence, Todibo would be in direct competition with Romero for a starting spot with every Spurs player fit and available, though his speed across the ground means he'd be able to play in Van de Ven's spot should the Dutchman endure another stint on the sidelines.

 

While it remains to be seen whether Spurs can convince Nice to sell Todibo in January, he is perhaps the best option on the club's radar next month as they look to bolster at the back. Todibo is undoubtedly the perfect forward-thinking centre-back Postecoglou craves. There are areas to his game that do need refining yet if Spurs can get a deal for the Frenchman over the line next month; then he'll prove a huge upgrade on the club's current options at the heart of the defence.

Who is Jean-Clair Todibo? Tottenham's marquee centre-back target