Barcelona are on the verge of winning the race to sign Toulouse centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, who has prioritised a move to the Blaugrana.
The 19-year-old had been tracked by some of Europe’s biggest sides but his insistence on going to Barcelona deterred some other teams from pursuing a deal.Todibo has refused to renew his contract with Toulouse and he will leave the French side when his contract expires at the end of the season; Barcelona did consider signing the defender now, but the figure would have been between 5 and 10 million euros.
Instead, he will arrive in the summer and join the club’s Asian tour, where they will evaluate his ability and assess whether he can help the team immediately or if he needs a loan move to continue his development.While a formal decision will be made at the end of the season, Barcelona are believed to have all but wrapped up the move and it is largely down to Eric Abidal, Barcelona’s technical secretary.La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Juventus, one of the teams interested in Todibo, have withdrawn their interest in the Frenchman.
Jean-Clair Todibo is an absolute stranger to most Barcelona fans. Born in French Guiana on December 30, 1999, the centre back is 1.89m tall and has only played 10 career games in professional football. [sport] pic.twitter.com/0p5uQ04F72
— Barça Centre (@barcacentre) January 4, 2019
Jean Clair Todibo will be a new Barcelona player at the end of the season. The club believe all the details have been sealed to sign the 19-year-old centre back from Toulouse on a free transfer. He will come on a four-year deal. [sport] pic.twitter.com/wX2PmcZ7dN
— Barça Centre (@barcacentre) January 4, 2019