Nottingham Forest could bring both Serge Aurier and Djibril Sidibe back to the Premier League after Steve Cooper’s side agreed deals with the former Tottenham Hotspur and Everton men, as reported by Foot Mercato.
Yes, Aurier and Sidibe are both right-sided full-backs. But very different right-sided full-backs.
The former is a player who puts the ‘wing’ in wing-back. Aurier’s defensive awareness, or lack thereof, earned him his fair share of critics at Spurs, but the former PSG flyer could be much better suited to Cooper’s 3-4-2-1 system at the City Ground.
A three-man backline should, in theory, give Aurier the freedom to push forward and do what he does best in the final third, while reducing the risk of being caught out on the counter. And this is where Sidibe comes in.
Nottingham Forest agree deals with Djibril Sidibe and Serge Aurier
As reported by The Athletic, Nottingham Forest are prioritising a right-sided defender. One capable of playing alongside Joe Worrall and Scott McKenna in Cooper’s backline. And Sidibe, having turned 30 in June, could fill that role quite neatly.
The 2018 World Cup winner has actually produced only ten fewer assists than Aurier throughout his career (37 in total). But only two of those have come since the start of 2020/21.
Sidibe has evolved into a more defensively-minded full-back in his advancing years; his reading of the game and aggressive, front-foot approach coming to the fore. As pointed out by the Monaco Tribune, the one-time Manchester City and Atletico Madrid target would often play as a third central defender when Les Monegasques were in possession; allowing the more attack-minded Vanderson to push on with almost reckless abandon.
Sidibe could perform similar duties at Nottingham Forest, with Aurier in the Vanderson role.
Aurier, a free-agent after one injury-hit season at Villarreal, underwent a medical with Forest on Wednesday. Foot Mercato say that he could arrive alongside, rather than instead of, the similarly unattached Sidibe.
Nottingham Forest have agreed a deal with Sidibe too (FM).
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