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Sun 24 May
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West Ham remain steadfast in plan to offload wantaway defender out of Nuno’s thinking

Ralphael AdelugbaRalphael Adelugba
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  • Jean-Clair Todibo is set to leave West Ham United
  • Todibo fell out with head coach Nuno Espírito Santo’s backroom staff during the Hammers’ final Premier League games
  • West Ham signed the French defender permanently for £32.8 million last summer

West Ham United’s rebuilding job in the Championship will undoubtedly require offloading unwanted personnel, as the club is expected to face a summer of upheaval on the transfer front.

It has recently been reported that the Hammers are resigned to losing at least five players, but the club is expected to make an effort to sell players not in head coach Nuno Espírito Santo’s plans.

The hierarchy reaffirmed their support with Nuno in the past week after releasing a statement backing the Portuguese following the club’s relegation, which all but confirms the end of one wantaway West Ham star.

Jean-Clair Todibo set to leave West Ham on cut-price deal after Nuno fallout

There appears to be mutual acceptance of a departure from West Ham United by Jean-Clair Todibo, with the club reportedly open to bids for the French defender following a catastrophic collapse in ties with Nuno.

Football Insider reports Todibo will be granted leave for a drastically reduced fee this summer after refusing to play for the club. West Ham exercised a £32.8 million permanent option for the former Nice and Barcelona man last summer; however, they are expected to part with him for much less after a season into his five-year contract.

The 26-year-old’s future at the London Stadium has come under increasing scrutiny since West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League, but Nuno’s stay appears to have hastened preparations for a summer exit. According to The Athletic, Todibo declined to make himself available for the club’s final-day match against Leeds United after a furious altercation with Nuno following the defeat to Newcastle United in the season’s penultimate game.

The incident is thought to have occurred after Todibo was replaced barely 25 minutes into West Ham’s loss against Newcastle. Following a disastrous start, Nuno decided to change his system, sacrificing the centre-back and switching from a back three to a back four. Todibo reportedly disagreed with the decision, perceiving the early withdrawal as a public humiliation.

“Somebody like Todibo who is refusing to play for the club, they want to get rid of him as soon as possible, whatever that may take,” former West Ham scout Mick Brown told Football Insider.

For West Ham, the issue is more than just a dispute. Todibo has had a rocky time in east London since moving from Nice, initially on loan, with his permanent move authorised in June 2025. The two-time France international has struggled with consistency, and, according to multiple reports, faced challenges under past managers Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter.

Todibo played 25 games this season, but found minutes heavily restricted in the second half of the season following the loan signing of Axel Disasi alongside Hammer of the Year Konstantinos Mavropanos.

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Ralphael Adelugba joined ReadWestHam in May 2026 as a freelance writer. He has a major passion for all things football, particularly the European and British game, with a wealth of experience in print and online sports writing, and recently received a BA (Hons) in Multimedia Sports Journalism at UCFB Wembley.

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