Monaco’s Djibril Sidibe is reportedly a target for Premier League duo West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
That Monaco team of 2016/17 was something rather special.
The dominant force of French football, at least for a single season, a thrilling side led by Leanardo Jardim and inspired by Radamel Falcao were also Champions League semi-finalists in those heady days of two years ago. But, bit by bit, Monaco were torn limb from limb.
Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy and Kylian Mbappe went first, then followed 12 months later by Joao Moutinho and Fabinho. And, according to France Football, Djibril Sidibe is expected to leave too.
The rampaging right-back was the unsung hero of Monaco’s brief success, dovetailing beautifully with Mendy and ripping teams apart both at home and abroad.
Rio Ferdinand, the Manchester United hero, even compared Sidibe to Brazil legend Cafu after his attacking masterclass helped Monaco beat Manchester City 5-3 in a stunning Champions League clash in the spring of 2017, speaking on BT Sport (21 February, 8pm).
“The two Monaco full backs [Sidibe and Mendy] were like Roberto Carlos and Cafu. Frantic football,” he said.
So it’s a sign of how far Sidibe has fallen in the last two years that, according to France Football, Monaco will sell for just £13 million with Crystal Palace and West Ham United keen.
With all due respect to The Eagles and The Hammers, Sidibe was being linked with far bigger clubs as recently as last summer.
But as Monaco have slipped down the Ligue 1 table, settling somewhere near the bottom, Sidibe has looked a shadow of the player who could once hold a candle to arguably the greatest right-back of all time.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
