Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘willing to approve’ £35m Man United transfer for Ligue 1 star defender as Harry Maguire Alternative

Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘willing to approve’ £35m Man United transfer for Ligue 1 star defender as Harry Maguire Alternative

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is expected to be busy again in the January transfer window despite previously spending more than £170million in the summer

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will not prevent Jean-Clair Todibo from joining Tottenham – despite Manchester United’s interest in the Nice defender.

Ratcliffe has been negotiating to purchase a 25 per cent in Premier League giants United, with the deal reportedly all but confirmed.

And the INEOS boss will be handed control of footballing operations by the Glazer family, a role that will incorporate having the final say on transfers and managerial appointments.

But the 71-year-old faces an awkward conflict of interests when it comes to Todibo. The 23-year-old French international was heavily linked with a move to Manchester in the summer, but a move never materialised.

He currently represents OCG Nice in Ligue 1, the club Ratcliffe purchased in August 2019. But according to the Evening Standard, if Ratcliffe is through the door at Old Trafford by January then he won’t block the defender moving between the clubs.

Having said that, Ratcliffe is also reportedly willing to allow the player to move to Spurs.

Ten Hag’s desire for defensive reinforcements has ramped up following a long-term injury to Lisandro Martinez.

The future of Raphael Varane is also the subject of speculation, with the ex-Real Madrid man free to negotiate a summer move to European clubs from next month onwards.

Futhermore, Harry Maguire is not expected back until mid-January, with fellow centre-back Victor Lindelof in a similar situation.

And to compound the Dutchman’s current dilemma, Serge Reguilon is suspended following his red card at Liverpool.

But United are far from the only club in the mix for the former Barcelona star. Tottenham remain in pole position to secure Todibo’s signature, providing they are prepared to meet the £35million asking price.

It has been claimed that Ratcliffe’s impending involvement in United won’t impact Spurs’ chances of securing the deal.

Like with Ten Hag, Spurs boss Ange Postecgolou has an injury crisis of his own to deal with. And Todibo has been targeted after summer signing Micky van de Wen was ruled out until well into 2024.

After failing to break into the first-team at Barca, Todibo joined Nice in 2021 following a successful loan spell. He’s since made 97 club appearances , scoring twice