Chelsea Transfer News: Djibril Sidibe Reportedly Eyed Amid Alex Sandro Rumours

Chelsea have reportedly turned to Monaco full-back Djibril Sidibe after failing to land Alex Sandro of Juventus.

According to Claudio Colla of TransferMarketWeb, Monaco's pursuit of Aston Villa's Jordan Amavi could free up Sidibe to leave, and the Blues are "planning" to make a move for him. 

Colla added that Sidibe rejected a transfer to Arsenal last summer.

Should Fabinho, who can also provide cover at full-back, stay put in Monaco, that might help Chelsea's cause.

Sidibe split his time on the right and the left last year, so he could replace Victor Moses on the former flank and provide cover for Marcos Alonso on the other.

The 25-year-old's attacking contributions are impressive, and he notched eight assists and three goals in all competitions last season.

A powerful runner, he undoubtedly has the athleticism to operate as a wing-back in manager Antonio Conte's 3-4-3 formation.

Here's a look at his numbers in Ligue 1, courtesy of Squawka Football:

However, in July he signed a new deal at the club to keep him there until 2022, having only arrived last summer.

Football writer Andrew Gibney also has serious doubts over his ability to handle the defensive side of the game:

That may be mitigated somewhat by being played further forward as a wing-back, though, as while he will still have defensive responsibilities, there would be three centre-backs to cover him rather than two.

His contract extension should be of more concern, as it's possible he intends to honour it, or at least remain at the club for another year or two.

It also puts Monaco in a strong position to fend off Chelsea's interest or demand a significant sum, so even if Sidibe is receptive to a move, it won't be easy to pull off.