The Hammers are in pole position to sign Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo, as Manchester United are ‘blocked’ from making a move, according to a report from TeamTalk.

The Red Devils have had a long-standing interest in Todibo. However, they are now unable to make an offer for the Frenchman. UEFA has blocked Man Utd from signing players from Nice due to the fact the clubs share the same ownership. Both Nice and Manchester United are owned by INEOS and Jim Ratcliffe.

 This puts West Ham’s biggest competitors for the defender completely out of the race, meaning the Hammers have a free run at the signing until another club comes in. The Hammers look set to make second offers for both Todibo and Max Kilman to see what deal the best is, however, the club hasn’t ruled out making moves for both.

Recent reports suggest West Ham could offer French club Nice a player as part of the deal for Todibo. Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd are two players Lopetegui wants to get rid of this summer, and both could be of interest to Nice given their previous Ligue 1 experience.