West Ham United hijack Jean-Clair Todibo deal – A Tim Steidten masterclass?

Harvey
By Harvey
3 Min Read

West Ham are set to contribute to one of the best transfer stories of this summer. Under Julen Lopetegui, the London club are moving in a new direction. Last season, there was a sense that David Moyes’ team had hit its ceiling and that the ex-Man Utd manager couldn’t take the Hammers any further.

Lopetegui on the other hand comes in with a different set of principles. He is much more daring than his predecessor and loves for his club to play a particular style of possession football. Coming from the Spanish school of coaching, West Ham are expected to play much more adventurous football than they did under Moyes.

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One of the main needs of such a system is the need for at least one central defender is who comfortable on the ball. Kurt Zouma is not a centre-back known for his ball-playing abilities and is on the verge of joining Al Shabab. Thus, the Hammers needed a replacement who suited Lopetegui’s style.

Enter Jean-Clair Todibo. The ex-Barcelona defender is extremely comfortable on the ball and also has the physicality to play in the Premier League. Things might not have worked out for the Frenchman in the Catalan club but his career has been on an upwards trajectory ever since.

Tim Steidten masterclass!

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Stealing a signing from under Juventus’ nose is incredible for any club, let alone West Ham. This transfer, if it goes through, is a personal victory for Tim Steidten who is widely regarded as one of the best sporting directors in football. This transfer as his class stamped all over it.

Juventus have been negotiating for Todibo since ever but have been unable to reach an agreement. With Zouma set to move to the SPL, West Ham swooped in at the eleventh hour with an offer too good to refuse. OGC Nice have accepted an offer of around €40m with a sell-on clause.

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The Ligue 1 club owe 20% of this sale to Barcelona, which would see the cash-strapped Catalan club profit around €8m. It’s an incredible deal for Julen Lopetegui who shows that he is not here to mess around. West Ham want to build on the foundation that Moyes has left behind.

Todibo is a player ready to play for a top club in the Premier League. If he is still joining West Ham, it shows the ambition he has as a footballer and it bodes well for the league. Let’s hope West Ham can now get this deal done without any more twists and turns.

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