Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked to a host of talent over the years, with some names arriving at Molineux, and others being classed as ones that got away.
One figure that was linked to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side back in 2020 was French starlet Jean-Clair Todibo, who has this year been rumoured to be of interest to Manchester United.
Looking back, the Old Gold could have secured one of the most promising talents in Europe in securing the then 20-year-old, at a price that has since soared to over 60% in value.
Did Wolves almost sign Jean-Clair Todibo?
Rewind to the summer of 2020, and Wolves were one of a host of clubs eyeing the signature of Todibo, who was facing exile from Barcelona as the Catalan giants wished to offload him.
News in Spain at the time, relayed by Sport Witness, named Wolves alongside Everton, Leicester City and Southampton as the Premier League sides interested in the centre-back.
The report stated that Barcelona would hold out for a fee in the region of €25m (£21m) for the defender, who eventually departed on an initial loan to OGC Nice, before the French outfit purchased him for €15.5m (£13m).
Nuno could have grasped a bargain in signing Todibo, who has shown his worth in Ligue 1 to the capacity of earning his first cap for France by Didier Deschamps.
What is Jean-Clair Todibo doing now?
Since his links to Wolves and exit from Barcelona, Todibo has found sanctuary at Nice, cementing himself as one of the best-performing, and most promising central defenders in the league.
In the summer, the 23-year-old was linked with a move to Old Trafford, with L’Equipe – relayed by GFFN – naming his price tag to be in the region of €40m (£34.5m) to highlight a 60% rise in his valuation from the point of Nuno’s interest.
Once described as a “Rolls Royce” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the quality of the defender has come to light in recent years, as declared by his statistics last season in Ligue 1.
As per FBref, the centre-back ranked in the top 7% of centre-backs in Ligue 1 for his rate of 2.38 tackles per 90, and in the top 6% for his average of 1.51 tackles won per 90.
Putting his form in comparison to Ligue 1 defenders aside, the former Wolves target has also outperformed the Midlands club’s star central defender, with Max Kilman prevailing as the lesser defender based on his statistics last season.
The Wolves captain averaged just 0.98 tackles per 90 in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, while maintaining an average pass completion rate of 83.0% and registering 3.46 progressive passes per 90, via FBref.
