West Ham face a major setback in their pursuit of former Barcelona ace

After signing Max Kilman from Wolves for £40M, Julen Lopetegui's side is in the market for more defensive reinforcements. One name that has caught their attention is former FC Barcelona ace, Jean-Clair Todibo.

After three successful years at the French Riviera, the 24-year-old has generated interest all over Europe ahead of the 2024/25 season. Manchester United was said to be the biggest rivals for the Hammers considering that both the Red Devils and Nice are owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS.

West Ham bid falls short of Nice expectations

However, as reported by Fabrizio Romano,

""Jean Clair Todibo, one of several names on Juventus shortlist for new centre back as contacts took place in the recent days.

Nice already rejected €35m from West Ham, price tag's higher.

Man United are 100% out of the race after deal almost done; blocked by UEFA rules""

- Fabrizio Romano

With Manchester United moving to other defensive targets like Matthijs De Ligt and Jarrad Branthwaite, Juventus have emerged as the Clarets and Blues rivals to secure the signature of Todibo.

Recently, Nice's manager, Franck Haise has shared his opinion on Todibo's transfer,

""I know full well some players will no longer be here. There are possibilities for lots of players""

- Franck Haise

Speaking on Jean-Clair Todibo's performances, he said,

""For now, Jean-Clair is working well, he is very serious. He had a good half. I have no issue with playing him because perhaps he will stay at Nice, we don't know""

- Franck Haise

If Todibo's transfer fee goes up due to more clubs entering the race for the Frenchman, the club needs to raise transfer funds for this signing. The Hammers may look to offload Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma to raise funds.

One thing is clear Julen Lopetegui wants big changes at the club to claim a top-four spot in the Premier League to qualify for the UEFA Champions League in the subsequent season.