Newcastle United just keep building the blocks and it's becoming increasingly clear that St. James' Park is going to house European nights for many years to come, but manager Eddie Howe will understand the importance of continual growth.
Indeed, the PIF club takeover provided the Magpies with the financial means to bolster the squad with a multitude of new additions, but it is the diligence of the transfer work that resulted in a fourth-placed Premier League finish last year.
That opened the door to Champions League football after two decades away in a remarkable ascendancy to the forefront of the game, eclipsing the speed of development that would have been targetted two years ago.
With Howe navigating away from relegation danger in 2021/22, the following campaign resulted in the ecstasy of newfound success, courtesy of the brilliant transfer activity merging with the Englishman's tactical vision on the pitch.
The backline, in particular, was at the heart of the club's endeavours, with Newcastle actually finishing the Premier League campaign with the joint-best defence in the league, conceding 33 goals alongside Manchester City.
Sven Botman has been the rock and leader at the back, but Fabian Schar has been immense in his Tyneside renaissance under Howe's wing.
The Swiss international, aged 31, is out of contract next summer however, as is captain Jamal Lascelles, and it's becoming clear where the priority area will be when the next course of action is assessed.
Who are Newcastle interested in signing?
Newcastle have been linked with a move for Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe of late and the creative ace would undoubtedly pump fresh life into the St. James' Park side and offer a kind of dynamic threat to add another angle to their offensive efforts.
According to the Northern Echo, the Gunners star is on the Toon hierarchy's radar this January, disgruntled having last started in the Premier League in the penultimate match of the 2021/22 campaign.
A loan move appears the most probable course of action for the three-cap England international, and while this is an exciting prospect for Newcastle, the news that Jean-Clair Todibo is on the club's radar is even more electrifying.
Indeed, as per Spanish sources, the OGC Nice central defender is a Toon target, with Howe hoping to consolidate his team's position of strength with a lasting defensive acquisition of merit.
Having been pursued by Manchester United in the summer for a fee of around €40m (£34m), Newcastle may need to act swiftly to entice the player with a package, but given the club's snowballing stature, this is more than feasible.
Why are Newcastle interested in Jean-Clair Todibo?
As previously mentioned, Schar and Lascelles are both currently playing their final season in England's North East, and while Lascelles is not a regular starter he has been important this season, with Botman missing five matches due to injury.
Schar, however, has been a pillar of strength in the Dutchman's absence this season, earning praise for his "magnificent" performances by the Daily Mail's Craig Hope.
Callum Wilson's recent one-year contract extension could be followed by the renewal of the former Basel player's deal, and indeed the Northern Echo report that advanced discussions have taken place to reward Schar for his role over the past two years under Howe.
Despite this, it would be wise to bolster the backline further, and Todibo, hailed as a “Rolls-Royce” by journalist Antonio Mango, appears to be a custom-made choice, boasting the kind of playing style to slot sweetly into life on Tyneside, fighting for one of the most ambitious projects across Europe.
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Gabriel Magalhaes
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Eder Militao
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Ronald Araujo
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Manuel Akanji
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Pau Torres
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The former La Blaugrana talent was always going to offer passing proficiency after rising through the ranks in Catalonia, and while he is contracted to his French Ligue 1 side until 2027, the financial package Newcastle are able to present could seal a deal cross the line.
How good is Jean-Clair Todibo?
The Les Aiglons defender has been sensational so far this season, completing 91% of his passes in the French top-flight, making 8.4 ball recoveries per game and winning 66% of his contested duels, offering skills that would provide the Magpies with a truly terrifying rearguard.
Botman is a superb distributor of the ball but is more conservative in his play, with the £90k-per-week machine ranking among the bottom 7% of defenders for progressive passes per 90, instead keeping it crisp with his innate composure and awareness in front of Nick Pope's goal.
Praised for his "incredible impact" by pundit Leon Osman since joining Newcastle from French team Lille for £35m in 2022, the 23-year-old has been fantastic and has worked so well with Schar, who plays a more creative, fluid game – ranking among the top 5% of positional peers for shot-creating actions per 90.
Todibo could serve as the dream heir, with the perfect range of qualities to bolster the pack and, eventually, succeed Schar to form a formidable partnership with Botman, who may well remain at St. James' Park for many years to come.
The Frenchman is very much omnipresent at the back, more than comfortable on the ball and eager to wade into the thick of the action, controlling the flow and direction of the game through his ball-playing ability and intelligence in possession.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 18% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 13% for passes attempted, the top 17% for progressive passes, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 6% for tackles per 90.
Very much the "complete package", as has been said by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Todibo is exactly what is needed to serve as the dream heir to Schar's position at St. James' Park, offering a similarly pass-reliant individual gameplan to work in tandem with Botman's dominant style.
Although the respective players have their differences on the pitch, this really could be utilised to great effect by an adept tactician such as Howe, and Newcastle's exciting journey would find a good chance of scoring illustrious success should this defensive machine be signed in 2024.