West Ham United are reportedly closing in on the signing of Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo.
The 24-year-old has been the subject of intense speculation throughout this summer, with Manchester United initially holding an interest in the highly-rated Frenchman.
However, with a UEFA ruling preventing the Red Devils from signing any players from Nice due to Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ownership ties with both clubs, a summer move for Todibo to Old Trafford has failed to materialise.
Both West Ham and Juventus have since been battling for the defender, who allegedly rejected the chance to join the Hammers earlier this summer in favour of completing a transfer to Turin.
Juventus have been considered the frontrunners to sign Todibo, but the Italian giants have struggled to reach an agreement with Nice after weeks of negotiations.
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Todibo completes first part of West Ham medical
The Bianconeri were hopeful of striking a deal with Nice earlier this week, but West Ham have since swooped in to hijack the move.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have reached an agreement with Nice to sign Todibo on an initial season-long loan deal with an obligation to buy for €40m (£34.2m) next summer.
The Frenchman is said to have accepted the Hammers' proposal on Thursday night after holding lengthy talks with the club's technical director Tim Steidten.
Todibo, his agent and Steidten have all since flown to London and Sky Sports News claim that the defender completed the first part of his medical on Friday.
All being well, Todibo could potentially be unveiled as a new West Ham player at some stage this weekend, bolstering Julen Lopetegui's squad further ahead of the new season.
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Why are West Ham pushing to sign Todibo?
West Ham have enjoyed a busy summer transfer window thus far, with over £100m spent on six new arrivals since the appointment of Lopetegui as their new head coach.
Max Kilman has been their most expensive addition, joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported £40m, while Luis Guilherme, Wes Foderingham, Crysensio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Guido Rodriguez have also complete permanent moves to the London Stadium.
Despite the arrival of Kilman, West Ham have opted to spend big on another central defender as club captain Kurt Zouma is reportedly on the verge of joining UAE outfit Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai on a free transfer.
The expected arrival of Todibo would see the Frenchman battle with Kilman, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Nayef Aguerd for regular starts in defence at West Ham.
Meanwhile, the Hammers are also understood to be in talks with Man United over a permanent move for right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Oliver Thomas
