Juventus are regrouping after Bologna stonewalled their efforts to acquire Riccardo Calafiori, who’s most likely headed to Arsenal, and are testing the waters for Jean-Clair Todibo. They have already done some business with Nice this summer considering the Khephren Thuram deal.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the defender is very keen on the move. He asked his entourage to wait for the Bianconeri before evaluating alternative landing spots. West Ham inquired in previous weeks but had to pivot to Max Kilman.
On the other hand, Juventus would have to splurge to sign Todibo. The French side demands €35/40M to part ways with their star center-back. Manchester United were willing to offer such an amount, but UEFA blocked them since both sides are under the INEOS umbrella.
The 24-year-old joined Barcelona early in his career after breaking out with Toulouse but didn’t hit his stride in Catalunya or during the ensuing loan spells at Schalke 04 and Benfica. Instead, he bounced back with Nice and has been a full-time starter in three consecutive seasons. He has two caps with France.
Our Take on Juventus and Todibo
They technically don’t need to numerically, but it’d be better to fortify their defense either by adding a quality right-back, using Danilo centrally, or with a high-profile center-back to partner with Gleison Bremer, preferably but not exclusively a lefty. Their Calafiori chase and attempt for Alessandro Buongiorno suggest the latter, but the Frenchman might be beyond their price range.
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