Credit: Imago

Daniel Davis

Sat 4 April 2026 18:10, UK

West Ham United must prepare for Jean-Clair Todibo to leave if they are relegated.

Centre-back Todibo has made 22 appearances across all competitions at the London Stadium this season, playing a crucial role in the fight to avoid the Premier League drop.

He has come on leaps and bounds over the past few months and, alongside Axel Disasi and Konstantinos Mavropanos, is now one of Nuno Espirito Santo‘s undroppables.

However, now 26 and in the prime of his career, Todibo could be tempted to set his sights elsewhere beyond the summer, especially if the Hammers do go down.

Losing Todibo would be a cruel blow for West Ham, but the prospect is very real.

Insider drops Jean-Clair Todibo future bombshell

The defender will also be targeting a spot in France’s World Cup squad in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and has been capped twice for Les Blues already.

Clearly, then, his stock is on the rise, and his stint in London is attracting plenty of attention.

Now, in a substantial blow to the Irons, one insider has played down speculation that Todibo could look to stay even if they are relegated from the top-flight.

The source told Claret & Hugh: “That’s absolute rubbish. Nobody is safe if West Ham get relegated, and Todibo is too good to play in the Championship.”

Indeed, the same publication has claimed that a “queue” of clubs are lining up to approach Todibo, with West Ham’s chances of keeping him in the Championship “slim to none”.

Regardless, the Hammers remain in the driving seat. He is contracted until 2029, allowing them to hold out for a significant fee should they decide to offload him in the summer.

Todibo has delivered a string of impressive performances this campaign. As detailed by Sofascore, he made nine clearances against Fulham and won three of his five aerial duels.

As a result, Nuno will be desperate for him to return from injury soon.

When will Todibo return for West Ham?

Todibo missed out on the 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa before the international break with a calf issue, but he could be available to return against Leeds United in the FA Cup on Sunday.

The feeling within the club is that the two-week break should have given him enough time to get back to fitness. Whether Nuno decides to risk him is a different matter altogether.

Understandably, West Ham’s priority is survival, with the cup placed on the back burner. This likely means that Todibo will be given another week to work on his sharpness.

According to Premier Injuries, he has just a 25 per cent chance of featuring.