West Ham agree Jean-Clair Todibo loan deal with £26.8m purchase option

West Ham have agreed a loan deal with Nice for defender Jean-Clair Todibo.

The deal includes the option for the Hammers to sign Todibo permanently next summer for €32million (£26.8m).

West Ham, however, face competition from Juventus and personal terms still need to be agreed.

Todibo would represent a major signing for West Ham as the 24-year-old excelled in Ligue 1 last season. He made his debut for France last year and has previously been linked with a move to Manchester United.

West Ham have made bolstering the heart of their defence a priority under new manager Julen Lopetegui.

The club have already brought in Wolves captain Max Kilman for £40m, who worked with Lopetegui when he was manager at Molineux.

There is work to be done over a deal for Todibo, though, given he is also a target for Juventus this summer. The Italian giants are also in talks with Nice, with reports in France and Italy stating how Todibo is leaning towards a move to Serie A.

The Frenchman has bounced back from a difficult time in his career when he moved to Barcelona from Toulouse in 2019.

Todibo was repeatedly loaned out by Barcelona and left them permanently after two years to join Nice. He has rediscovered his best form there and has made 100 appearances in Ligue 1 for Nice since joining them in 2021.

Todibo was in the France squad towards the back end of last year but did not make the cut for Euro 2024.