According to Graeme Bailey, Arsenal have joined Chelsea in the race to sign Stoke City prodigy Souleymane Sidibe, who is turning heads due to his rise in the Championship.
They are not alone in this race since Premier League bigwigs Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Nottingham Forest have also been attracted by his emergence onto the senior stage at the Bet365 stadium (via Foot Mercato).
The Gunners are always looking to add top talents to their reputed academy, and they have now set their sights on the 17-year-old midfielder from England.
Who is Arsenal target Souleymane Sidibe?
The Paris-born teenager joined the Potters as an eight-year-old in 2015. He rose through the ranks, quickly making a name for himself at the Straffordshire-based club.
Sidibe became their third youngest player to make a senior debut (16 years, 176 days) as he featured against Rotherham in the Championship in August 2023.
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Four days later, the teenage sensation made his first EFL Cup debut against West Bromwich Albion. In the post-game talk with BBC Radio, former boss Alex Neil praised Sidibe as he said:
“I had no concerns over him. He’s a terrific talent, but he’s also really mature, for being so young. I think when you’re 16 years old, most players of that age could only dream of doing something like that.”
He went on to make a further seven appearances for the senior side and also had five goal contributions in 14 games for the U23s. Looking at his immense potential, the Potters handed the 17-year-old his first professional contract in July this year (running until 2027).
Son of Stoke legend Mamady, he is turning into a fan favourite at the Championship club. Sidibe represents England’s U18s at the international stage and was seen playing for them in a 2-2 draw vs. Portugal this month.
The youngster excels as a box-to-box midfielder and plays with uncanny maturity. He offers control on the ball and loves to play forward passes.
Arsenal have young midfield stars like Dan Casey and Ethan Nwaneri in their ranks. The latter is scheduled to start in the North London Derby this weekend.
Having Sidibe will further bolster their talent pool and keep themselves a step ahead of their counterparts when it comes to signing the best English youngsters.
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However, it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious in this tight race as many clubs encircle the promising player.
