Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is looking to bolster his backline after qualifying for the Champions League this year, with Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo now being considered for transfer.
How much will Jean-Clair Todibo cost?
That's according to French outlet Nice-Matin – via Sport Witness – who write that Les Aiglons will demand €40-50m (£34-43m) for the one-time Barcelona prospect amid Magpies interest.
Todibo is believed to have been approached by several Premier League sides including Newcastle, Aston Villa and West Ham United; all three teams play in Europe this year, but Howe will hope Champions League football will sway the odds in his favour.
The Magpies could also be emboldened in their pursuit following the 23-year-old's rejection to play in Saudi Arabia and join the throngs of players making the move to the rising footballing project in the Middle East.
How good is Jean-Clair Todibo?
Newcastle were immense last season and defied expectation by beating the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur to a place in this year's Champions League, ending a two-decade absence from Europe's first-class continental competition.
The imperious defence was one of the central factors in the success, Newcastle conceded a league-best 33 goals last term, while Nick Pope kept 14 clean sheets from 37 matches.
Despite this, Howe seemingly feels that a fresh face would prove worthwhile, and Todibo could be the perfect signing to continue the ascent, having impressed in his homeland last year.
As per Sofascore, the Frenchman recorded an average rating of 6.94 in Ligue 1, keeping nine clean sheets from 34 matches, completing 89% of his passes, and forging 2.2 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, also succeeding with 65% of his duel attempts.
That would go a long way to summing up why talent scout Jacek Kulig suggested he was as "solid as a rock". As such, Todibo could be identified as the heir to Fabian Schar's position in the Magpies backline, with the Swiss, aged 31, entering the final year of his contract at St. James's Park.
Schar has enjoyed something of a redemption arc under Howe after starting just 13 league fixtures in 20/21 and serving as an unused substitute across nine of the first 11 top-flight games of the 21/22 campaign.
He started 36 times last season and earned an average rating of 7.13, making 3.8 clearances per game and succeeding in 65% of his duel attempts, and given the semblance in such metrics between himself and Todibo, Howe might be wise in focussing his attention on providing his squad with a similarly robust new titan.
The £20k-per-week Todibo ranks among the top 12% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, furthering the argument that he is an apt replacement given that Howe will hope to sign a ball-playing defender capable of contributing effectively to the offensive manoeuvres, starting from the back.
Kulig has already proclaimed that the Frenchman would represent a "big bargain" for any suitor, and if he does soon ply his trade on Tyneside Newcastle will edge one step closer to consolidating their newfound position of power.