Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo set to move to Ligue 1 side OGC Nice - Reports

According to established football journalist Gianluca di Marzio, Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo is set to force through a move to Ligue 1 side OGC Nice in the coming months.

#Todibo could come back to @Ligue1UberEats: talks ongoing with @ogcnice @SkySport @SkySports @jctodibo

— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) January 28, 2021

Once one of the hottest young talents in European football, the French centre-back moved from Toulouse to Barcelona in 2019, with the Blaugrana prevailing over several other suitors across Europe for his signature.

Touted to be the solution for Barcelona's mounting defensive struggles, the Frenchman moved with the weight of heavy expectations on his shoulders, but failed to perform for the Catalan club's former manager Ernesto Valverde.

Todibo then spent a spell on loan at Schalke, where he failed to make his mark despite going into a struggling squad. The Frenchman only played eight games in Germany before returning to Barcelona.

The 21-year-old was immediately loaned out this summer to Portuguese club SL Benfica, who lost starting centre-back Ruben Diaz to Manchester City in September.

However, his time in Portugal has come to a premature end as he was not seen up to the mark physically or technically to replace Diaz and now sits on the fringes in an unsettled Barcelona team.

A move back to his native land seems likely for the Frenchman, who, over the course of the past few years, has drawn interest from England, Germany and Italy as well.

With an ageing starting XI, problems are mounting up for Ronald Koeman's Barcelona

Lionel Messi (L) and Ronald Koeman

Despite standing third in La Liga, in the round of 16 of the Champions League and the quarterfinal of the Copa del Rey, the challenges are seemingly unrelenting for Barcelona under new manager Ronald Koeman.

After Koeman was hired by the Blaugrana to replace Quique Setien, following their giant-sized 8-2 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal of the Champions League, the club has been far from settled.

The Catalan club struggled to keep hold of disgruntled captain and talisman Lionel Messi, who, as things stand, will be out of contract by the summer and have had to deal with the resignation of club president Josep Bartomeu, with a new presidential-election imminent.

Barcelona have reportedly failed to pay Lionel Messi and his teammates their full wages #FCBhttps://t.co/3H5RxkKcAx

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) January 28, 2021

Currently 10 points behind La Liga leaders Ateltico Madrid (who have a game in hand) the Blaugrana could need reinforcements both in defence and attack in the near future.