An astonishing revelation has emerged about Jean-Clair Todibo and it could change what Nuno Espirito Santo does next with him at West Ham.
The French defender’s West Ham future is hanging in the balance, but this new twist might just make the Hammers boss think twice about how to deal with the situation.
How do you solve a problem like Jean-Clair Todibo?
That’s the £32m question Nuno Espirito Santo must now answer at West Ham.
Italian clubs are already circling to sign Todibo from West Ham in the January transfer window.
That comes as the 25-year-old’s Hammers career hits a new low, just months after the club were obligated to make his season-long loan permanent for a whopping £32m.
Todibo has hit a new low at West Ham
Given West Ham’s much publicised money issues, Nuno needs to find a way of making it work with Todibo or the club must cut their losses as soon as January rolls around.
There was so much excitement around the signing of Todibo last summer.
Tim Steidten had persuaded the Nice defender to snub Juventus and sign for the Hammers.
West Ham were getting a player Barcelona paid £20m for as a 19-year-old and a cultured, ball-playing 6ft 3in centre-back on the verge of the French national squad.
The loan element was merely West Ham’s way of kicking the financial can down the road as they had already spent £120m on signings last summer.
The fact it only took five Premier League starts to trigger the obligation clause is all the evidence needed of that.
Although had it been completing five Premier League games then he may now be back at Nice, so infrequently has Todibo managed that in east London.
On the pitch Todibo has looked rusty from day one.
His performances have been hugely inconsistent, looking like an elite level centre-back one moment and a Championship player the next.
A defender who can’t – or doesn’t seem to want to – attack the ball in the air is always going to struggle in the Premier League.
Nuno could think twice about Todibo after West Ham revelation
And Todibo has certainly struggled.
A physical bust-up with Julen Lopetegui was followed by speculation he was going to leave last January before revelations of a falling out with Graham Potter too since his sacking.
It is claimed Potter called Todibo into his office to tell him to make more effort in training.
The defender’s alleged response was to turn up late the next day – hence being dropped from the squad for Spurs.
That lack of effort has been on full display in video footage released by West Ham over the last year or so where Todibo looks lackadaisical if not disinterested.
Todibo missed Nuno’s first West Ham game at Everton with sickness.
So all eyes were on whether the defender would return to the fold at Arsenal after the new Hammers boss confirmed pre-match he was back training and available for selection.
The French Guiana born star was left out of the squad to face the Gunners and many feel the decision from Nuno proves Todibo is done at West Ham.
But an astonishing revelation could make Nuno think twice about West Ham outcast Todibo.
It is fair to say Todibo has now been written off by most at West Ham.
When the error-prone Konstantinos Mavropanos is holding down a starting spot ahead of you, there’s a problem.
Todibo’s attitude and application is clearly in question along with many of his performances.
Is Todibo a diamond waiting to be polished at West Ham?
But is there a diamond there waiting to be polished by Nuno as others pray he comes good?
A big revelation about how West Ham do with and without Todibo suggests there may well be.
Statistics show that West Ham’s win rate without Todibo in the side or squad is just 5.8 per cent – that’s just one of 17 matches.
However, with Todibo in the squad and playing at least 45 minutes or more, the Hammers’ win ratio jumps exponentially to 30 per cent – nine from 29.
That is a quite staggering contrast and suggests West Ham are a much better team with Todibo in the side.
Whether Nuno will care about that unless Todibo ups his workrate and sorts the issues which have seen him unable to complete 90 minutes or perform to a certain standard in training remains to be seen.
