The imminent arrival of Monaco defender Djibril Sidibe at Goodison Park leaves Marco Silva with a tricky decision to make at right-back.
The club have been actively searching for a long-term replacement for Seamus Coleman, but the experienced defender still has plenty to offer and given the timing, it’s likely that he’ll start against Crystal Palace this weekend.
The 30-year-old will now face tough competition to nail down a starting spot, something he hasn’t always had. So how do the two compare?
Coleman had a steady campaign last time around, making 29 league appearances, which included two goals and two assists.
Always known for his lung-bursting overlapping runs, naturally Coleman is becoming a more defensive full-back as age catches up with him. As he approaches the latter stages of his career, those trademark runs are going to become a rarer sight.
In the long run, this could work in Sidibe’s favour. The Frenchman was never too shy to cross the halfway line and add to Monaco’s attack during his time in Ligue 1, but there were certainly question marks about his defensive abilities.
Known as a ‘modern-day full-back’, there were always some concerns surrounding Sidibe in and around his own penalty box.
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This throws up a really interesting conundrum for Silva at Everton, as he now boasts two very solid, but different options at right-back, not something many supporters have with Coleman in the side.
Sidibe may need some time to get up to full speed with both the Premier League and his personal fitness, so you could expect to see Coleman get the nod early on.
Healthy competition could end up bringing the best out of him and either way, that’s a huge plus point for Everton.
In games where Silva will be eager to get on the front foot, he may favour the more attacking Sidibe to come into the side in an effort to break down teams that sit deep against them.
Everything points to this being a great deal for Everton as they add depth and quality to their defensive ranks.
