Barcelona loanee Jean-Clair Todibo will not seal a €25m permanent exit to join Schalke as it’s reported that their option to buy as part of their agreement has now expired.
The 20-year-old joined the Bundesliga outfit on loan in January, and as per the club’s official site, the agreement included an option to buy worth at least €25m.
While the loan spell hasn’t worked out as planned as the youngster has made just 10 appearances for Schalke, it has now been noted that the deadline for the club to exercise their option to buy has now passed.
According to Sport, the option was applicable until Monday (June 1) and Schalke sporting director Jochen Schneider has himself confirmed that it is no longer available to them.
That in turn has led the report to suggest that Todibo’s future isn’t with the German outfit, although that said, there is still a chance that they will perhaps try to renegotiate with Barcelona on a new fee if he was to impress between now and the end of the season.
Nevertheless, Sport add that Everton could be an alternative solution for the Catalan giants if they wish to offload the Frenchman, with their first offer said to be worth €22m plus bonuses.
Time will tell if the two clubs can reach an agreement, but doubts are raised over a move to Schalke now, while it could also be questioned as to whether an exit is really the most sensible option from a Barcelona perspective.
With Gerard Pique turning 34 next year and Samuel Umtiti’s ongoing injury issues, that leaves Clement Lenglet and youngster Ronald Araujo as their only other options in central defence.
Keeping Todibo could be a smart solution, but speculation continues to suggest that he is set to move on even if a switch to Schalke now looks to be off.
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