According to a report in Footmercato, Newcastle United has inquired about Monaco right-back Djibril Sidibe.
The 28-year-old barely kicked a ball this season and has only started one Ligue 1 game since October. He needs to find a new club to play regularly and a move to Tyne side might be on the cards.
The report by Footmercato also states that Marseille is also interested and that Monaco would sell for around £5m to move on a player who has less than 18 months of his contract to go (June 2022).
He has the experience of playing in the Premier League while he was on loan at Everton where he made twenty-eight appearances. Sidibe is a good offensive player but can be caught out when playing in the full-back role due to his inability to hold the ball up.
Other than that he is a very solid full-back and very responsible defensively. Sidibe often bombards to make forward runs to overlap midfield and offers inviting crosses into the box. Although he’s often found deep inside the opposition’s half, he’s responsible enough to track back when his team losses possession and cover his position.
His defensive numbers are amazing at Everton he put in 4.9 tackles and Interceptions per game to put it into context our defence stalwart Issac Hayden has only 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game.
Djibril Sidibe is also very good offensively and delivers good crosses last season he had 4 assists to his name while he also lobbed in with 2.2 long balls per game. He is also renowned for his long-range shots as he took set-pieces for Monaco.
He can cover a variety of defensive as well as midfield positions. I think the best position for him would be an attacking wing-back role in a back five. He is very much similar to Jetro Willems in terms of attacking prowess and hard tackling. He also has a French cap to his name in the 2018 World Cup but his international career has been plagued by injuries.
This should be an absolute no-brainer for the Magpies a shrewd signing he would be a direct improvement on what we have currently.
Newcastle desperately need to upgrade our fullback options. Yedlin’s contract is up in the summer he is attracting interests from the MLS clubs. Javier Manquillo is a good defensive fullback but offers next to nothing going forward. Emil Krafth hasn’t done anything since his arrival to suggest he is good enough for the job. Also, the fact Sidibe is available for less than £5 million makes him an absolute no-brainer a shrewd addition and direct improvement on what we have currently in our roster.
In previous years, Newcastle has success with these types of transfers where talented players are struggling for minutes and we get them and they prove to be a success in the Premier League with the likes of Fabian Schar, Martin Dubravka and Jetro Willems are all examples of that.
Newcastle United can also try a loan with an option to buy but it’s highly unlikely Monaco would accept this nature of deal as they previously rejected a similar Everton offer.
