Jean-Clair Todibo: Gerard Pique's eventual successor?

It is no secret that Barcelona have been searching for a successor to their 3rd captain, Gerard Pique for a long time. Currently, Barcelona are also facing a centre back crisis with their star defender Samuel Umtiti injured, and the extent of his injury unknown.

In recent times, the Catalan club has been linked with a host of young centre-backs like Matthjis De Ligt, Kalidou Koulibaly and even Milan Škriniar.

Furthermore, Barcelona have also agreed personal terms with Toulouse's Jean-Clair Todibo and he is set to sign for the Catalan club in a deal worth €2 million in the winter transfer window.

Although he was being scouted by Manchester City, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, he chose to sign for Barcelona. While he may not be as hyped as the centre-backs mentioned in the list of linked players above, he is a bright, young prospect to watch out for.

Player Profile

Talking about his physical attributes, he is a right-footed centre back and stands at 6 ft. 2 in tall, which would make him Barcelona's second tallest player after his supposed predecessor, Gerard Pique. Furthermore, he is pretty fast considering his tall physique and his speed could be handy in 1v1 situations against speedy attackers, especially due to the fact that Barcelona often play a high defensive line.

Stats comparing him to FC Barcelona players (Image courtesy: TalkFCB)

Furthermore, he has averaged better defensive numbers than Barcelona defenders in the league this season. He has made 2.1 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per 90 minutes. Moreover, he has been also dribbled past only 0.2 times per game. While it seems pretty unfair to compare his stats to FC Barcelona players, considering the difficulty level of LaLiga, it is worth noting that these stats look very positive for such a young defender.

Stats per 90 (Image courtesy: TalkFCB)

As a defender, he rarely overcommits himself. Moreover, he does not completely rely on his pace and prefers to use his anticipation power more than his physical prowess. He is a very intelligent reader of the game, and his decision making is pretty good for a 19-year-old. These attributes explain the brilliant statistics displayed above, especially with regard to interceptions.

In addition to that, he also has an excellent eye for a pass, which makes him a pretty solid ball playing centre back. Moreover, he is aerially strong by virtue of his tall physique and could be a potential threat from set pieces.

Conclusion

Jean-Clair Todibo is a pretty well-rounded defender, and his above-mentioned attributes make him a perfect fit for FC Barcelona. Moreover, Gerard Pique will be turning 32 this February and it is important for Todibo to make the next big step and fill in the big shoes of the World Cup winning defender.