Antonio Conte made a stellar start to his time in England but this summer, he is getting to understand the many challenges that he will have to face in the long term in London. The manager has added decent quality to his first team from the previous season but there are still a few positions in the squad that need to be addressed before the start of the league campaign.
The defence will be a position of priority for the Blues and it does not come as a surprise that Conte is still scouting for AS Monaco full-back Djibril Sidibe. According to the Evening Standard, Conte is ready to raid the French outfit yet again and is ready to meet Sidibe’s valuation this summer. So is he a decent option for the Blues?
A product of the academy in Troyes, Sidibe played for the senior side at Troyes and then at Lille before he joined Monaco just last summer. He also made his international debut last year, and now has 10 international appearances to his name already.
A right-back by trait, the French international is a dynamic full-back, who is equally effective at both ends of the field. Though not a strong defender, Sidibe is decent in the air and even better with his interceptions on the flank.
He hates when his opponents beat him on the flank and deliver crosses but he loves to do the same at the other end. He can dribble past opponents and has vision enough to create chances from the wider areas and will be a decent fit for Chelsea.
With 125 Ligue 1 appearances at just 25 years of age, Sidibe is an established defender, one who can walk into most squads in Europe.
Antonio Conte used Victor Moses as the first choice wing-back last season and to decent effect. But the Nigerian international has little backup for his role in the squad and Sidibe could actually walk into the first team, pushing Moses onto the bench, and improving the quality in the first team.
At just 25, he is still going to get better but is already an exciting prospect for the best clubs in the world. AS Monaco will be adamant to sell but Chelsea, who are unable to tie Juventus’ Alex Sandro, their first choice right-back, to the club, they are now looking at Sidibe, who is a superb option.
But do you think the French international is who Chelsea need this summer?
