Latest news with #Todibo
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Jean-Clair Todibo is here to stay at West Ham – expect more front-foot defending
Jean-Clair Todibo stood forlornly, then gazed towards the technical area as he removed the white taping from his wrist. Moments earlier, he had grimaced in the direction of the West Ham United bench, having felt pain in his lower leg. The 25-year-old defender was consoled by team-mates but headed towards the tunnel knowing another spell on the sidelines awaited him. Advertisement It came during a chastening 4-1 away defeat against Manchester City on the first weekend in January. He had aggravated a previous calf problem and would be out this time for nearly six weeks. Todibo showed glimpses of his quality following his arrival on a season-long loan from French side Nice in August, a deal which carried an obligation to buy. But following the news that West Ham have now completed the signing of the centre-back on a five-year contract for £32.9million (€39m; $44.4m), doubts over his fitness linger. Todibo, who won two caps for France in 2023, made 27 Premier League appearances last season, 20 of them starts, but was substituted off on 11 occasions. Following Graham Potter's appointment as coach in January, the Frenchman was one of his preferred defensive options. Todibo, who had interest from Juventus and Newcastle United last summer before his move to the London Stadium, mostly featured alongside Maximilian Kilman in the middle of a back four but also played in a three-man defence. His ball-carrying ability is his strength but lapses in concentration and his aerial presence still require work. That said, his arrival at West Ham was considered a coup in a window that saw the departures of fellow central defenders Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma on season-long loans to Real Sociedad in Spain and Saudi Arabia's Al Orobah respectively. Todibo made his debut in August's opening-weekend home loss against Aston Villa as a late substitute but West Ham's then head coach Julen Lopetegui only introduced him to the starting XI gradually. A player once signed by Barcelona at age 19 came off the bench again at Crystal Palace the following weekend, started the Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth but got replaced at half-time and was then an unused sub in the next three league matches against City, Fulham and Chelsea. He did not make his first Premier League start until the 1-1 draw away to Brentford on September 28, six weeks after signing. Advertisement A mitigating factor behind his slow start was the fact he did not have a proper pre-season, featuring in Nice's friendlies against Lausanne (July 10) and Leganes (July 19) but not playing for them again as the move to West Ham gathered pace. 'I'm happy because the club gave me the time to get fit,' Todibo told the club's website after his first full 90 minutes that day in west London. 'It took me a bit of time to come back well. The game is more intense in the Premier League than in Ligue 1, more intense than all the leagues in the world, I think. Today I'm not 100 per cent, but I think I'm going to improve more with time, and have a good impact in the team.' However, the forthcoming months were laced with frustration. As a result of his calf injury, the centre-back missed games against Leicester City (December 3), Bournemouth (December 16), Villa (in the FA Cup, January 10), Fulham (January 14), Palace (January 18), Villa again (January 26) and Chelsea (February 2). Todibo did then offer encouragement as far his his fitness was concerned, starting 12 of the final 13 league fixtures from the middle of February. In an attempt to address the muscular difficulties that stunted his momentum, Todibo travelled home to France in January to get a second opinion from his private doctor of eight years. A scan revealed issues with his lower limb. His path to truly winning over the West Ham fans starts this summer. When fully fit, Todibo is capable of being a solid performer, someone whose skillset aligns with Potter's preferred style of play. He was admired by Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, and had trials with both before joining Toulouse from Les Lilas, an amateur club in the Paris area, at age 16 in summer 2016. Over the past nine years, Todibo has developed into an aggressive defender. The graphic below, which looks at his 'true' tackles — a combination of tackles won, tackles lost, and fouls conceded while attempting a tackle per 1,000 opposition touches — gives an indication of how often he likes to leave a mark when the opposition have the ball. Todibo ranked eighth among centre-backs with 900+ minutes of Premier League game time in this metric last season, while his true-tackle win rate of 73 per cent is also very high — which suggests he often backs that front-footedness up by escaping from a challenge with the ball more often than not. A weaker side of his game, however, is the ball in the air — though he is 6ft 3in (192cm), only nine Premier League centre-backs with 900-plus minutes last season won a lower proportion of their aerial duels. But, similar to his central-defensive colleague Kilman, there are no concerns with Todibo's passing ability. He is a strong ball-carrier and when in possession, rarely opts to go long. Having said that, there is scope to be more expansive with his varied passing range; around 8.5 per cent of Todibo's passes last season were progressive — just 11 top-flight centre-backs look forward with their passes less often. Dubai is Todibo's preferred destination when in search of rest and relaxation during the off-season. He is spending quality time with loved ones but is intent on avenging those debut-year setbacks and helping his new parent club return to previous heights. 'In France, we say 'Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour', which is like the saying 'Rome wasn't built in one day', because it takes time,' Todibo told West Ham's website in April. 'The manager (Potter) came and the situation was difficult, and we need to build something. We just need more time with this manager, because when you have the positives in the game, the result is going to come. 'There is no rush. You don't have to rush. I think if you want to be smart and productive, you should work for it. It's more like this and we prepare for the next season — because next season has to be big.'
Hans India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Jean-Clair Todibo completes permanent move to West Ham United
London: Jean-Clair Todibo has completed a permanent transfer from OGC Nice after the defender had initially joined the Hammers on loan. The France international defender arrived at the London Stadium in August 2024 on an initial season-long loan, with an option to make the transfer permanent for an undisclosed fee. Todibo, 25, made a total of 29 appearances in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign. After seeing the middle of his season punctuated by injuries, Todibo returned to start 12 of the final 13 Premier League matches, including the impressive victories at Arsenal and Manchester United. The centre-back debuted for Spanish giants Barcelona at the age of 19 and is considered one of the brightest young defenders in European football. A strong tackler, elite reader of the game and superb distributor of the ball, Todibo helped Nice reach the Coupe de France final in 2022, UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals in 2022/23 and achieve two fifth-place finishes in Ligue 1 before departing for England. Meanwhile, the club also confirmed Carlos Soler and Evan Ferguson will return to their respective parent clubs, Paris St Germain and Brighton & Hove Albion, following the end of their loan spells. Soler, 28, joined in August 2024 and made 15 starts and 18 substitute appearances. The Spanish international midfielder scored one goal, in the 3-2 home win against Fulham in January - Graham Potter's first Premier League win as Hammers boss. Ferguson, 20, arrived in January from Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. The Republic of Ireland international striker made one start and seven substitute appearances during his time at the Club. "Everyone at West Ham United would like to thank Carlos and Evan for their contribution and commitment during their time at the Club, and wish them every success for the future," read the statement by the club.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantrax EPL GW-37 Player Picks (FRIDAY DEADLINE)
Jamie Vardy (like KDB) plays his last match before home fans this week. | Photo by Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images There are only four points separating the 3rd to 6th ranked teams in the EPL, so theirs will be the most interesting to watch in GW-37. However, there will be fantasy points to be mined elsewhere as well. In the next to last round of the season, there will be two Friday matches, the earlier (Aston Villa vs Tottenham) revealing confirmed lineups before our Fantrax deadline. Goalkeepers Jakub Stolarczyk ($1.74, Leicester vs Ipswich) Advertisement With Hermansen out for the rest of the season, Jakub is expected to start. He has performed excellently in the few occasions he has started. His salary and home against Ipswich Town make him a strong candidate. ~~ Emiliano Martinez ($11.60, Aston Villa vs Tottenham) Villa has won six of the last seven, so with Spurs shifting their focus to the Europa League final, the Villans can grab all three points to stay in the race for a top five finish. Defenders Chris Richards ($8.70, Crystal Palace vs Wolves) What a defender Richards has developed into. Of the 14 matches he's played since Chalobah's departure, Richards has earned double-digit Fantrax points in 12 of them. It's surprising that his salary hasn't spiked given his impressive form. Advertisement ~~ Jean-Clair Todibo ($5.75, West Ham vs Nott'm Forest) Todibo has started in recent matches and performed well. With Forest in a tail spin, this presents another opportunity for Todibo to showcase his defensive skills. ~~ Michael Kayode ($1.95, Brentford vs Fulham) Brentford is on a 4-match winning streak, with Kayode starting in all of those games. He has earned double-digit points in three consecutive matches and his salary is still near minimum. Midfielders Pedro Neto ($9.70, Chelsea vs Man Utd) Any opponent playing against United is now worth considering, and Neto is a guaranteed starter. With his strong attitude and ability to contribute, he has a good chance to make an impact in this match. Advertisement ~~ Mats Wieffer ($4.17, Brighton vs Liverpool) Another gem discovered by Brighton's scouting team, he has earned double-digit points in three of the last four weeks. With two assists in those starts, he has contributed on both ends of the pitch. ~~ Kevin De Bruyne ($10.63, Man City vs Bournemouth) With City's final match of the season being away, GW-37 will be a farewell game for the legend's home fans. De Bruyne has been in great form since his recovery, earning double-digit points in three consecutive matches recently. Forwards Ollie Watkins ($13.66, Aston Villa vs Tottenham) Rashford is still out, so with 16 goals plus 7 assists this season, and with Spurs conceding goals in recent matches, Watkins is poised to further extend his record and make an impact. Advertisement ~~ Beto ($7.09, Everton vs Southampton) Beto has had a highs and lows throughout the season. He has scored in his last two games, indicating that he has found his scoring form again. Against a team that has conceded the most goals in the league, Beto is expected to continue his momentum and add to his tally. ~~ Jamie Vardy ($9.42, Leicester vs Ipswich) Another legend is bidding farewell to his home fans. With one goal plus an assist in the last two matches, Vardy seems to be in form. Ipswich has yet to keep a clean sheet in 2025, so he may deliver one final winning performance for the home crowd. Stats and info for this article were sourced from and Advertisement ~~ Who else is on your watch-list? And what are you shopping for? Please log in and talk to us in the comments below! ~~ More from
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
West Ham's obligation to buy Todibo activated
West Ham's obligation to sign on-loan Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo on a permanent basis has been activated after the club retained their Premier League status. The France centre-back joined the Hammers on a season-long loan from the Ligue 1 side last summer, and the deal included a potential obligation to sign him full-time. The conditions of the transfer have remained confidential, but multiple sources have told BBC Sport the primary stipulation in West Ham's agreement with Nice over a permanent deal was retaining their Premier League status. That was confirmed on Saturday when Ipswich became the final club to have their relegation into the Championship confirmed. It is understood the fee to turn Todibo's deal permanent is £36.3m (42.5m euros). Sources close to the deal insist a few minor details are still to be finalised but have confirmed the process of signing the 25-year-old has now opened. West Ham sign Todibo and agree deal for Wan-Bissaka Baleba stunner edges five-goal thriller against West Ham Todibo has made 25 appearances for the Hammers in a season that has been partially disrupted by injury. Defeat by Brighton on Saturday was a seventh game in a row without victory for Graham Potter's side - four of which have been losses. Potter was appointed in January after the sacking of Julen Lopetegui, who replaced David Moyes last summer. Speaking before Saturday's defeat at the Amex Stadium, Todibo said: "We've felt a lot of frustration, for sure, and we have to work more, but we are in a good way. "We just need more time with this manager because when you have the positives in the game, the result is going to come."
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
West Ham's obligation to buy Todibo activated
West Ham's obligation to sign on-loan Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo on a permanent basis has been activated after the club retained their Premier League France centre-back joined the Hammers on a season-long loan from the Ligue 1 side last summer, and the deal included a potential obligation to sign him conditions of the transfer have remained confidential, but multiple sources have told BBC Sport the primary stipulation in West Ham's agreement with Nice over a permanent deal was retaining their Premier League was confirmed on Saturday when Ipswich became the final club to have their relegation into the Championship is understood the fee to turn Todibo's deal permanent is £36.3m (42.5m euros).Sources close to the deal insist a few minor details are still to be finalised but have confirmed the process of signing the 25-year-old has now opened. Todibo has made 25 appearances for the Hammers in a season that has been partially disrupted by by Brighton on Saturday was a seventh game in a row without victory for Graham Potter's side - four of which have been was appointed in January after the sacking of Julen Lopetegui, who replaced David Moyes last before Saturday's defeat at the Amex Stadium, Todibo said: "We've felt a lot of frustration, for sure, and we have to work more, but we are in a good way."We just need more time with this manager because when you have the positives in the game, the result is going to come."
