Juventus launch counter-hijack as Jean-Clair Todibo arrives for West Ham United transfer
Juventus are refusing to give up on Jean-Clair Todibo after the defender arrived in London to complete a move to the West Ham, according to Sean Whetstone.
The former Six Foot Two editor reported via X on 9 August that the Nice player is in the capital and the Irons are “battling” to get the deal over the line.
But the Serie A giants have been on the phone to his agent “all day” in an attempt to prevent him from signing at the London Stadium.
Fabrizio Romano had reported on 9 August that the Hammers’ own hijack of Todibo’s proposed move to Juve was complete as he flew in for a medical ahead of a £34.2million loan-to-buy move.
But Whetstone wrote: “Jean-Clair Todibo is now in London but Juventus are fighting back by refusing to give up and have been on the phone to agent constantly all day.
“West Ham are battling to get the deal over the line to beat Juventus but it is not a done deal at this stage.”
Tim Steidten in another fight to secure West Ham signing
Tim Steidten will need to lie down in a darkened room for some time when the transfer deadline passes after the amount of drama he has been involved in this summer.
The German has been doing an increasingly impressive job of restocking a thin Hammers squad for new boss Julen Lopetegui but has taken his share of blows along the way.
After seeing a series of pursuits hit brick walls, such as the ambitious attempt to bring ex-Chelsea star N’Golo Kanté back to the Premier League, Steidten has turned things around in a big way by securing the trio of Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and coveted free agent Guido Rodriguez.
Todibo looked like being one of the high-profile misses after effort earlier in the window ran aground with the Frenchman’s preference to join Juve [Gazzetta dello Sport, 8 July].
If the centre-back does now end up alongside Max Kilman as the new Irons centre-back pairing it looks like it won’t be without a fight, just as the deal for Luis Guilherme had to survive late threats as well [Whetstone, 5 June].
And the pursuit of a new right-back, said to be Lopetegui’s final request before the transfer deadline [The Sun, 5 August], is also becoming a draining experience as the bid to land Aaron Wan-Bissaka remains within touching distance but incomplete.
There is a lot to like about the work done at the London Stadium this summer but it has been hard-earned, and with a major push it could end up even more impressive.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have been offered the chance to sign an alternative who has changed agents.
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