Manchester United is planning to replace Harry Maguire with a Ligue 1 defender

The 30-year-old’s departure from the area is still being rumoured. (Images from Getty)
According to rumours, Manchester United has targeted Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo as a possible Harry Maguire successor should the club’s fired captain depart this summer.

The £80 million defender was jeered by the crowd on Sunday during the club’s 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao in Dublin because he gave the Spanish team the ball before they scored their first goal.

In the 29th minute, Maguire attempted to break through the defence but passed right to an Athletic player instead, creating a huge gaping hole in which Nico Williams sprinted to score.

The 30-year-old was playing in a mostly second-string Lineup since United’s first squad had played Lens at Old Trafford the day before. Since then, he has rapidly dropped down the Old Trafford pecking order.

Erik ten Hag prefers the centre-back duo of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, although he has also favoured Victor Lindelof and even left-back Luke Shaw over Harry Maguire.

The former Leicester City player has been extensively linked with a summer transfer, with West Ham expressing the greatest interest in acquiring him. His manager also stripped him of leadership during the summer.

However, Maguire is said to be eager to battle for his future at the club, and any potential suitors may find his large salary—which has increased due to United’s Champions League qualification—to be a significant roadblock.

But if Maguire leaves, United has already started preparing for it and is reportedly considering teenage Nice centre-back Todibo, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The management at United has expressed a desire to be “informed on the terms of a transaction,” but they haven’t shown any firm interest, and any transfer would be contingent on Maguire finding a new team.

Ten Hag believes that he needs four centre-backs on hand, and he may have fewer alternatives if Maguire left. But, the club has previously lost out to prior targets Kim Min-Jae, Axel Disasi, and Jurrien Timber.

Todibo previously spent two years at Barcelona, although he only played four La Liga games for the Catalan powerhouse and was loaned out to three other teams, including a particularly forgettable stint at Benfica.

Yet he found a home in Nice, which signed the 23-year-old to a permanent contract in 2021. Of course, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a potential United owner, owns the French club.

Juventus inquired about a move with Todibo earlier this summer, and Tim Steidten, the new director of football at West Ham, is said to be a huge admirer. Todibo has performed well in recent seasons and is vying for a call-up to the French national team.

Any deal for the Frenchman is probably going to cost approximately £26 million, but United and Nice are still in the early stages of negotiations, and any action is dependent on whether Maguire stays or leaves.