Manchester United are keeping tabs on Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Frenchman has been mentioned as a possible transfer target in recent days and, writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Romano said that the defender is being watched by the Red Devils but there is no prospect of a bid being tabled in the immediate future:

“Todibo is still being monitored, and we’ll have to wait and see how Man United will act. The priority will be a midfielder for now, so there’s nothing imminent on Todibo.”

As Romano mentions, it is certainly not top of the agenda, but United have been looking at the market for potential centre-halves

Todibo, along with Monaco’s Axel Disasi, have been scouted but, with the latter heading to Chelsea, the Nice defender now looks to be the no.1 option.

A bid may only happen if Maguire departs

Manager Erik ten Hag already has four senior centre-backs in his squad, but there is still a belief that Harry Maguire may be offloaded before the transfer window closes.

The 30-year-old has been stripped of the club’s captaincy and it remains to be seen whether he is happy staying at Old Trafford simply as a squad player.

United could face obstacles if they do try and sign Todibo

It is believed that there are at least two other Premier League clubs interested in the 23-year-old, with both Newcastle and Liverpool also said to be keeping an eye on the defender’s progress.

Competition for Todibo’s services may consequently lead to Nice increasing their asking price. Reports suggest that the Ligue One side may be happy to sell the player for around €40m (£34m) but that valuation could still rise to €50m (£43m).

To avoid losing out on the Frenchman, United may want to make their move sooner rather than later.