Romano tells Man Utd they can sign INEOS favourite: ‘Clubs already called’

Manchester United have been told by Fabrizio Romano that West Ham centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo could be on the market in 2026.

The France international joined the Hammers on an initial loan deal in summer 2024. His stay at the London Stadium was made permanent for a sizeable €40 million in the bygone window, but he now finds himself on the outside looking in.

Todibo dropped out of the team under Graham Potter in August, and new head coach Nuno Espirito Santo seemingly doesn’t fancy him either. He has yet to make a matchday squad under the 51-year-old.

According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Todibo could depart West Ham next year if the situation doesn’t change. Although he insists that it is still too early to make definitive statements, he has revealed that the 25-year-old already fielded interest from Serie A in the summer.

When asked whether there are doubts over Todibo’s future, Romano told GIVEMESPORT: “Not at this stage, but Italian clubs already called in the summer and are likely to return for Todibo in 2026.”

Man Utd to return for Todibo as well?

Another club that could potentially be attracted by Todibo’s availability are Man Utd, who tried in vain to sign the Frenchman before he headed to East London.

Todibo was on the books of INEOS sister club Nice prior to his Premier League move, and Man Utd thought they had a deal in place to sign the centre-back.

However, both Man Utd and Nice qualified for the Europa League at the end of the 2023/24 season, which forced them to sever ties for the 2024/25 campaign as per UEFA rules. This also meant that the clubs could not trade players.

INEOS boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe later made no secret of the fact that this left him baffled and bemoaned that he had lost a high-potential player to a Premier League rival. Perhaps the Red Devils could belatedly get their hands on Todibo in 2026.

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