Just over a month ago, it looked as if Chelsea's season was over, but with four wins out of the last five games, passage through to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup and the opportunity to book their place in the League Cup final tonight, things aren't looking quite as desperate.
That said, Mauricio Pochettino's side are only ninth in the Premier League and the prospect of Champions League football next season is quickly fading away.
However, with the transfer window in full swing, the Blues have the chance to give their fans something else to cheer about, and with the latest player touted for a move to Stamford Bridge likened to Lisandro Martínez, their defence could look significantly more impressive in no time at all.
Chelsea look to the French Riviera for defensive reinforcements
According to a report from French football broadcaster Telefoot on Sunday, Chelsea are among a number of top-flight clubs interested in signing OCG Nice's incredibly talented defender Jean-Clair Todibo this year.
The organization has revealed that, alongside the Blues, Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli have already held talks with the player's representatives. However, the French club themselves are keen to hold on to the player until the summer window, and any sale could end up being the biggest in their history.
In terms of how much that might actually be, journalist Ben Jacobs revealed earlier this month that a transfer fee for the talented Frenchman could reach around €60m, or about £52m.
How Jean-Clair Todibo compares to Lisandro Martínez
While Manchester United have not had the best track record when it comes to transfers in the last couple of years, the signing of Martinez from Ajax in the summer of 2022 has been an unequivocal success, he even won the fans' Player of the Year award in December 2022. It's just a shame that the foot injury he sustained in September last year has kept him out for so much of the season.
So, when it comes to comparisons to current Premier League defenders, there aren't much more flattering than the combative Argentine, and that comparison comes from FBref.
In their assessment, Martinez is the most similar to Todibo in those competitions, with the pair most notably alike in their ability to play out from the back – the World Cup winner ranking in the top 4% for progressive carries per 90 among his European peers, while the Nice star ranks in the top 7% in that regard.
Player
Club
Lisandro Martínez
Manchester United
Dante
Nice
Ibrahima Konate
Liverpool
Warmed Omari
Rennes
Danilo Pereira
Paris Saint-Germain
While comparisons to other elite defenders are always welcome and a great way of getting noticed, it should also be noted that the "solid as a rock" Todibo, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, has some impressive statistics of his own.
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When compared to other centre-backs from Europe's top five leagues, he ranks highly in several metrics, sitting in the top 5% for attempted passes, the top 12% for progressive passes, tackles and interceptions and many more, all per 90.
Per 90
Percentile
81.26
Top 5%
0.64
Top 7%
5.00
Top 12%
1.62
Top 12%
2.13
Top 12%
90%
Top 14%
1.05
Top 23%
Ultimately, if Chelsea want to push on, make the most of their position in the domestic cups and rebuild their league form this season and beyond, then signing a "Rolls-Royce" of a centre-back like Todibo, as U23 scout Antonio Mango described him, is a great place to start.
