- Todibo revealed why he turned down Man Utd offer
- Wished to play for a 'top club'
- Wanted regular first-team opportunity
WHAT HAPPENED? Todibo was linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer as United were planning to offload Harry Maguire to West Ham. The Red Devils were reportedly plotting a €40 million (£34m/$43m) move for the Frenchman but a deal ultimately did not materialise after Maguire's move to the London Stadium collapsed.
Todibo has now revealed that while he was tempted to join a "top club" like United, he was not too sure of regular game time in the Premier League, which would have hampered his chances of becoming a fixture in Didier Deschamps' France lineup at international level.
WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to L’Equipe, Todibo said: "It’s very clear the club [Nice] would not have sold me this summer. I have given it [the links to United] in-depth thought and I remained calm. I didn’t want to make the wrong choice. I expect to be presented with the full picture. What are you expecting from me? Why am I signing? You shouldn’t arrive at a club asking yourself this. I know what I have in Nice, so why leave? Everything must be clear.
"I’m not going to lie and say that I didn’t have the thought to tell myself that perhaps I should play in a 'top club' to increase my chances [of playing for France], but there are also guarantees when playing at Nice. It was an immense joy to wear the blue jersey for the first time, to sing the Marseillaise. I have always said that wearing the French team kit was the Holy Grail for me, so there was a lot of pride and emotion."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The 23-year-old defender has a contract with Nice until 2027. He recently made his debut for France in an international friendly against Germany.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
Getty.jpg?format=pjpg&auto=webp&width=3840&quality=60)
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? With a guaranteed first-team opportunity at Nice this season, Todibo will aim to make the most of the chances he gets in order to make it to the France squad for Euro 2024 next year.