Djibril Sidibe excelled on loan at Everton last season (Getty Imges)
According to Liverpool Echo, Everton star Djibril Sidibe is keen to make his move permanent after his loan spell from AS Monaco ends in the summer.
The report suggests that the Toffees have the option to buy Sidibe at the end of the season for £12.7m. And the right-back has to wait for the club to make a decision.
Sidibe, 27, who came through ES Troyes AC’s youth ranks joined Lille in the summer of 2012 and made a name for himself there. He was later signed by Monaco in 2016 and went on to help the club lift the Ligue 1 title at the end of the 2016/17 campaign.
He has made an excellent start to his career in England with Everton and has become the club’s first-choice right-back despite being here not even for a year. He has been in sublime form over the past couple of years and that earned him a place in Didier Deschamps’ French squad for the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Everton have seen a rise in their form under Carlo Ancelotti and they have been putting in the hard work ever since the Italian took charge of the Toffees. But the recent results haven’t gone their way and the Toffees have fallen to the 12th place in the league standings after a 4-0 defeat to Chelsea last weekend.
The manager should be able to take the team to a higher position at the end of the season since they have a good squad and hope to qualify for the Europa League. However, he will need a full-strength team to get off to a good start in the new campaign and to do that, he must make some changes to the squad.
Seamus Coleman and Sidibe are the only right-backs available for Everton and Coleman has lost his place to the Frenchman in no time. Therefore, it would be wise by the club to sign Sidibe permanently if they are to add depth to the key areas.
The 27-year-old has been of immense help in both the offensive and defensive situations. With 4 assists in the league, Sidibe is the second-highest in that list for the club and this shows his importance to the team’s attack.
In defensive situations, he has registered 3.7 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 1.3 clearances per game in the Premier League. whereas, Coleman has registered just 1.3 tackles, 1 interception and 1.1 clearances, according to Whoscored. Hence, going by their stats, Sidibe has been influential to the team than the club captain.
Predominantly a right-back, the World Cup winner is also capable of playing at the opposite end of the backline. He has also shown glimpses of featuring in midfield and his versatility would be a huge boost for the manager and the team.
The former Lille man has the potential to succeed at a higher level and he has been at his best for Everton in the past few months. He still has a lot more to offer and the Toffees must enjoy his best.
Therefore, Everton must not delay in signing Sidibe permanently and should keep hold of him for as long as possible.
