Graham Potter hinted he didn't feel he was fully supported by West Ham United's owners in the summer after his side's 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, and that may include the decision to sign Jean Clair-Todibo.
The Hammers suffered their third Premier League defeat in four games, and the pressure is growing on the English tactician. Goals from Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven did the damage, and Tomas Soucek's red card made matters worse at the London Stadium.
Potter opted to leave Todibo out of his entire matchday squad for the Spurs clash after questionable performances in defeats to Sunderland and Chelsea. It's clear that the Frenchman has failed to win his manager over and perhaps wasn't even wanted by the under-fire Englishman.
West Ham Made Mistake Signing Todibo
White Black Modern Photo Collage Before After Youtube Thumbnail - 2025-09-14T092521.241
West Ham moved to make Todibo's loan move permanent in the summer, splashing out £35m on the 25-year-old who had previously been on Manchester United's radar. He has failed to replicate impressive performances in Ligue 1 with Nice, while in the English top-flight, and Potter looks to have grown impatient.
The former Barcelona centre-back failed to even make the substitutes' bench with Konstantinos Mavropanos and Max Kilman starting in defence. Fellow summer signing Igor Julio was named on the bench while the versatile Soungoutou Magassa came on shortly after Soucek's sending off.
West Ham could have focused on improving other areas of Potter's team instead of spending a hefty fee on a player who didn't set the world alight in East London last season. The deadline day move for Julio was telling as the club moved for another centre-back despite triggering the buy option for the French international.
Potter's explanation for defeats to London rivals Spurs and Chelsea was that they are Champions League clubs who "have the resources to build squads that are high level." If one of your new signings can't even make your squad, then it's clear you're questioning the recruitment.
Todibo was handed a five-year contract and is thought to earn £100,000 per week (per Capology), making him the club's fifth-highest earner. Given the significant financial implications of his capture, his inconsistent game time doesn't add up unless Potter is having doubts.
White Black Modern Photo Collage Before After Youtube Thumbnail - 2025-09-14T092539.293
The Irons may already be prepared to replace him with his French compatriot Axel Disasi amid reports of a possible January move for the Chelsea defender, and Potter is "a fan". It's claimed that a Stamford Bridge exit is 'inevitable' for the 27-year-old, who is not in Enzo Maresca's plans.