Jean-Clair Todibo: West Ham agree loan deal with Nice for defender with £26.8m option to buy | Transfer Centre News

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

The deal is a loan with a £26.8m (€32m) option to buy, although there is no agreement with the player yet.

Juventus remain interested in the France international but have yet to agree a deal with Nice, who are owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS.

Manchester United, whom INEOS have a minority stake in, had targeted a move for the 24-year-old but a move for Todibo is not possible.

The two clubs agreed not to transfer players between each other to ensure they can both play in the same UEFA competition.

West Ham have now struck a deal for Todibo after they saw a £25.2m bid rejected by Nice earlier this month.

Would Todibo prefer Juventus?

Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth:

“Significantly, there is no agreement with the player yet. There’s a club-to-club agreement, but there’s no agreement with Todibo.

“In the background, Juventus are still interested in signing him, with some sources claiming that Todibo’s preference is to go to the Italian giants over West Ham.

“The Premier League club are pushing through and, crucially, they’ve reached an agreement.”

When does the summer transfer window open and close?

The 2024 summer transfer window officially closes on August 30 at 11pm UK time in the Premier League and 11.30pm in Scotland.

The Premier League has brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.