Jean-Clear Todibo has admitted that he is open to a return to Barcelona this summer despite interest from Manchester United.
Todibo joined Barca back in 2019 aged just 19, signing as a free agent following the expiration of his contract at Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse. The centre-back would make a measly four La Liga appearances for the Catalan club following his move, however, being loaned out to Schalke 04, Benfica and Nice for most of his time on the books.
The towering defender eventually left Barcelona on a permanent deal in 2021, joining Nice for a reported €8.5m. Since then, Todibo has developed into one of the most sought-after young centre-backs in Europe, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur among the suitors for his services.
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Man Utd have been heavily linked with Todibo in recent times, thanks in large part to Nice owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchasing a 25% stake in the Old Trafford club.
Despite rumours swirling of Man Utd’s interest, speaking to Canal+ following his team’s 0-0 draw with Clermont Foot, Todibo seemingly opened the door to a return to Barca as opposed to a move to the Premier League:
“Why not?” Todibo said when asked about a return to Barcelona. “I don’t regret it, not at all.
“Barcelona is still a great experience. I learned a lot from Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet… It did me good. I discovered the very, very high level.
“I didn’t have the desired minutes because there were very, very big players in front of me. I also had a coach, Ernesto Valverde, who was under pressure, so it was normal for him to play Gerard Pique instead of an inexperienced 19-year-old.”
90min understands that Nice have informed Todibo that they are prepared to sell him during the upcoming 2024 summer transfer window, with Man Utd, Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Bayern Munich and AC Milan among the teams to have recently kept an eye on his progress at the Ligue 1 club.
