Juventus are on the verge of missing out on Jean-Clair Todibo despite month-long talks that seemed close to their completion, as West Ham tabled a larger offer and are trying to convince the player to accept the move, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.
The Bianconeri directors met with Nice on Wednesday. The parties had ironed out most details other than the resale clause. The Ligue 1 side wanted it at 25 percent. Instead, there was common ground on an initial fee for the loan, €5M, and the conditions to trigger a €30M mandatory option to buy.
Juventus didn’t seal the Todibo deal despite the summit, and West Ham took advantage of it. They tendered €40M but could use a similar formula. After prioritizing the Old Lady in recent weeks, the center-back appears more open to going to the Premier League.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the London outfit is extremely confident about their chances. They’ll bring in the defender for the medicals on Friday if he gives his okay.
Our Take on Juventus, West Ham, and Todibo
Once again, an excessively long negotiation spells trouble. It wouldn’t be great to miss out on another primary defensive target on top of Riccardo Calafiori but due to the interference of a second-tier side in this case. Still, the fee is very high for a solid but not world-class player, especially considering they have other needs. They could use an upgrade in the back, but not at all costs and without jeopardizing the budget for a no.10 and a winger. Jakub Kiwior is still sitting there for the taking and is a lot less expensive.
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