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Lille joins Sidibe s battle, Villa faces competition for multiple teams

11:44am, 11 July 2025【Football】

Lille Club in Ligue 1 has joined the battle for the Champions League Hope Star midfielder.

If Aston Villa wants to sign promising midfielder Sol Sidibe from Stoke City, they will have to resist fierce competition from several European clubs.

It is reported that several teams are tracking the midfielder. He was born in France, but at the youth national team level, he chose to represent England.

Sidibe played for the England U17 youth team in 2023 and later that year, he made his debut with the U18 youth team. Since then, he has also served as the captain of the "Child Lion Legion" of this age. At the club level, he has also gained considerable first-team experience.

The 18-year-old has made 21 appearances for Stoke City's adult team since completing his career debut in August 2023.

Last season, under coach Steven Schumacher and later Narcis Perah, Sidibe continued to get a stable chance to play, making 13 appearances in the league and cup games. However, after Mark Robbins took over as head coach in January, he has never been given a chance to play.

He signed a three-year contract with the club last summer, which means his contract is still two years away. But this did not stop the outside world from interest in him, especially from Aston Villa.

According to a French media report, Ligue 1's Ligue 1 club has now officially joined the battle for Sidibe. Other suitors include Ajax, Eindhoven and Vera.

Villa has been gradually reducing the average age of their lineup in recent years. Yassin Ozjan is also preparing to join the team from Caspassa this summer after introducing Andres Garcia in January.

They also targeted midfielder Sweller Nipan as their goal, but he eventually turned to sign for Manchester City.

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