For most of the Premier League campaign, Chelsea has sat comfortably top and they don’t look like they’ll relinquish their hold any time soon.
Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 system has been revolutionary, allowing Eden Hazard a free role further up the pitch.
Not content with their superb first-half of the season, Chelsea are reportedly aiming for reinforcements this month, with recent reports mentioning a certain duo from Monaco; Djibril Sidibe and Tiemoue Bakayoko.
At the end of December, The Guardian reported that Conte and the club’s technical director, Michael Emenalo, visited France earlier in the month to watch Bakayoko and Sidibe in the Champions League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.
Here, we look at what those two players would bring to the Chelsea squad.
DJIBRIL SIDIBE
Although predominantly a right-back, Sidibe is incredibly versatile and can play on either of the defence as well as in midfield if needed.
He isn’t the type of full-back that always crosses from the wide areas, but prefers to cut into the middle and measure up a pass in the final third of the pitch.
Sidibe has a 66% tackle completion rate, which looks to be improving week in and out since his days as a Lille player. The fact that Monaco are normally in control of most Ligue 1 fixtures, means the 24-year-old spends a lot of time playing as a wingback, pushing further up the field.
Possessing the ability to play with both feet, Sidibe has a solid shot on him and it isn’t shy to let one fly from distance.
Completing 47 successful tackles so far this season, Sidibe has completed more tackles than any of Chelsea’s current full-backs, Marcos Alonso the closest to the Frenchman with 31.
Sidibe has also produced more key passes (16), completed more assists (2) and more accurate passes (655) than Chelsea’s Victor Moses this campaign.
Having only joined Monaco this summer, the Ligue 1 side will not not let go of Sidibe without a fight and will be aiming for at least double the €15million fee that they had paid for him.
TIEMOUE BAKAYOKO
After the departure of John Obi Mikel and Oscar this month, Chelsea will be looking to strengthen their midfield, with the club linked with Bakayoko during the January transfer window.
N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic are currently the regular starters at the heart of midfield for Chelsea, and Bakayoko would be seen as a perfect understudy and eventual replacement for the Serbian.
Conte is getting the best out of Matic once more after the 28-year-old suffered an awful 2015-16 season, but Bakayoko as a long-term option for Conte to invest in.
The Frenchman has helped transformed Monaco into title contenders, providing balance with an energy that underpins his incredible work-rate. He isn’t your typical destroyer in front of the defence, but also contributes the start of quick counters and can unlock defences with his range of passing.
Managing 17 appearances in the league, just three less than Matic, Bakayoko’s comparison with the Chelsea man doesn’t come as a surprise at all. He has completed 40 interceptions and 47 tackles, while Matic has managed 33 interceptions and 39 tackles.
However, Matic has helped more on the attacking side of the game, producing 17 key passes and six league assists. Bakayoko has only managed six key passes and has contributed directly to three of Monaco’s goals so far this season.
The Frenchman will not come cheap with reports suggesting that an offer around €40million will be needed to convince his club to sell.
