Manchester United have endured a rough start to their campaign so far this season. They have gone from arguably the third-best side in the country and one that lifted silverware last year to one that seemingly falls apart when presented with the slightest of setbacks.
Erik ten Hag's men have lost four of their last ten games, including bruising defeats to Manchester City, Newcastle United and Copenhagen. At the same time, they have only beaten Everton, Luton Town, Sheffield United and Fulham.
In short, it hasn't been good enough for a club of United's stature, and while there are a multitude of reasons why they're struggling so much, one of the big ones is the absence of centre-back Lisandro Martínez.
The Argentine – dubbed an "absolute monster" by Luke Shaw – has arguably been the club's best defender since arriving from Ajax last summer, and his removal from the backline has been detrimental to the team.
So it's good news that the Red Devils have been linked to another defender that measures up well to 'The Butcher': Jean-Clair Todibo.
Man Utd transfer news – Jean-Clair Todibo
According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, United are interested in signing the Frenchman in the winter window and view him as a "candidate" to help solve the squad's defensive issues.
However, Ten Hag's side aren't the only Premier League club interested in the OGC Nice centre-back, as according to the Evening Standard, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are targeting the player.
The publication has also revealed that any move will likely cost in the region of £39m, which doesn't seem too unreasonable for a sought-after 23-year-old "Rolls-Royce", as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango.
However, United will have to act fast, as Spurs' need for a centre-back is arguably more significant than theirs, and should Liverpool still be in a title race come January, they could find it challenging to sell the United project.
How Jean-Clair Todibo compares to Lisandro Martínez
Now, while you don't necessarily want a team of players that all play in the exact same way, it certainly helps to have centre-backs that can be relied upon and that play together exceptionally well.
Well, with Todibo, United could have precisely that. The Frenchman is both an exceptionally talented and "complete" defender – as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – in his own right and a statistical clone of Martínez.
According to FBref, the former Ajax man is the most similar player to Todibo across Europe's top five leagues.
Lisandro Martínez
Manchester United
Dante
OCG Nice
Igor Julio
Brighton & Hove Albion
Christian Romero
Tottenham Hotspur
Ibrahima Konate
Liverpool
By looking at their numbers from last season, you can see just how similar the two players are and how they could complement one another were they to form a partnership.
In fact, there are even some areas in which the Nice star outshines his potential new partner, such as progressive carries and passes.
Stat
Jean-Clair Todibo
Lisandro Martínez
Progressive Carries per 90
0.66
0.51
Progressive Passes per 90
4.80
3.53
Attempted Passes per 90
68.4
65.0
Pass completion
88.5%
87.0%
Tackles and Interceptions per 90
3.70
3.67
Stats via FBref for the 2022/23 Premier League & Ligue 1 Season
Now, there may be a case to be made that having two incredibly similar centre-backs would be detrimental to a team's chances; after all, they would share the same weaknesses.
Well, you only have to look at Todibo's own team, Nice, to see that's simply not the case. The second most similar player to the Frenchman is former Bayern Munich defender Dante, who has started 100% of Nice's games this season and, alongside the sought-after 23-year-old, has helped guide the team to second in Ligue 1.
Ultimately, United have the opportunity to sign an exceptionally talented defender for £39m, and with how their season has gone so far, they should grab it with both hands.
