Everton are closing in on a deal to sign French international right-back Djibril Sidibe from Monaco, according to Bertrand Latour.
The defender had been linked with a move to Crystal Palace earlier in the window but it looks like he will now be moving to Goodison Park rather than Selhurst Park, but what do some Everton fans think of the signing?
We’ve taken a look at what a few fellow Toffees had to say:
Read Everton’s own Elliott Cuff seems to like the move as he heaped praise on Marcel Brands.
Twitter: Everton appear set to sign Djibril Sidibé (via @LatourBertrand) from Monaco as the right-back recruit that they wan… https://t.co/bKapLOaguJ (@CuffWrites)
Rhod Cannon thinks the Frenchman will be a good squad member to provide depth at right-back and to give Seamus Coleman some competition for the role.
Twitter: Sidibe provides good competition for Coleman, if reports are correct. Talented player but lost his way at Monaco, b… https://t.co/8XHXRZnGkl (@RhodriCannon)
It wasn’t all positive though, with this Everton fan thinking that the move for an older player (Sidibe is 27), is not in the best interests of the Blues.
Twitter: @GFFN @TrevorMcKinlay @LatourBertrand We need younger players not old ones we’re spending money on players who will… https://t.co/uegxL2QKuz (@tychadderz)
Read Everton Verdict
Sidibe is, in my opinion, a good system fit with Everton. Marco Silva likes to push his full-backs high up the pitch and Sidibe has experience doing this as Leonardo Jardim ran this system during his title-winning campaign with Monaco.
Sidibe is capable of playing on either side but given the importance of the overlap in Silva’s system, I’d expect him to play on the right-hand side for the majority of the time. There are some concerns over his injury record. He missed the 2018 World Cup with a knee injury and he has had a host of other injuries in recent years. At just over 10 million, this is a risk worth taking for Everton.
His arrival could open up the possibility for Silva to resume his usage of the 3-4-2-1 formation, though central defensive reinforcements might be needed for this to become reality.
