West Ham’s summer signing Jean Clair Todibo is set to start in tonight’s game against Liverpool, but reports are emerging regarding why his inclusion has taken so long.
The French international and former Barcelona defender was pursued by the Hammers all summer, and we eventually beat Juventus to secure his signing. However, he has been seen less than the Loch Ness Monster since joining West Ham on a loan transfer with a view to a permanent £35M move from Nice.
Initial reports suggested that Julen Lopetegui did not consider him tough enough for the Premier League—a viewpoint confirmed to C&H by a top club source.
It is now being suggested that Todibo has been under special instruction to improve his fitness levels, prompting the question: just how unfit was he? Given how infrequently he has featured for the Hammers, one can only assume that he was less fit than the injured Edson Alvarez, who didn’t even participate in pre-season training.
Presumably, that is why Todibo looked so sluggish in his only start against Bournemouth in the previous round of the Carabao Cup. Let’s hope he’s been on the treadmill plenty and has gotten up to speed for tonight’s game at Anfield because he is far too talented to spend the season on the bench.