Everton in talks to sign Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo on loan

Barcelona are currently demanding an obligation-to-buy clause is included in the deal

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Everton are in talks to sign Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo on loan, however, the Spanish side are currently refusing to sanction a deal without an obligation-to-buy clause.

Barcelona are hoping to secure around £18m in exchange for the 20-year-old centre-back, which will help fund moves for Ajax’s Sergino Dest and Manchester City’s Eric Garcia as Ronald Koeman continues to overhaul the first-team squad.

Everton have tracked Todibo extensively, and he has been on the club’s shortlist of defensive targets since a deal for Lille’s Gabriel Magalhaes collapsed due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

Todibo, a Toulouse academy graduate and France youth international, has also attracted loan interest from Ligue 1.

Everton had hoped to sign Chelsea’s Fikayo Tomori on a season-long loan, but Frank Lampard is now set to keep the England international in his first-team plans and instead attempt to offload Antonio Rudiger.