Kalidou Sidibe to Celtic transfer silence broken as boss 'isn't fooled' and knows player wants to talk
The towering Guincamp midfielder has been linked with a move to Parkhead in recent months
Celtic have been given a boost in their pursuit of reported target Kalidou Sidibe, with the Guincamp star's manager under no illusions about the prospect of the midfielder moving on this summer.
The Hoops are looking to build from a position of strength in the summer window, with next season's Champions League qualification play-off not too far away.
Attacking options will be high on the agenda, with talk around Brondby frontman Mathias Kvistgaarden and Slovakian striker David Strelec - who were both targets for Celtic in January - not going anywhere.
But reports in France have linked the champions with 26-year-old Sidibe in recent months, who stands at a colossal 6ft7 inches.
The Paris-born player is into the final 12 months of his contract with the Ligue 1 club, who are said to value him at around £1.7million.
And Guincamp boss Sylvain Ripoll admits he knows the towering midfielder will be open to moving elsewhere should the right opportunity arise.
Asked by Le Telegramme, about the prospect of Sidibe and young midfielder Hugo Picard remaining with the club going into next season, Ripoll replied: "I'd hope so, but I'm not fooled either.
"They probably want to see what's going on there.
"They only have one year left on their contracts.
"As long as their interests are protected, the club will listen.
"So there must be the requests the players want and the club must be protected.
"But if they stay with us, I would be very happy."
You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Beckham, Bale, Bellingham – Trent adds to list of British players to join Madrid
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been publicly presented as a Real Madrid player after leaving Liverpool following the expiration of his contract. Here, the PA news agency looks at the Spanish giants' previous high-profile British signings. Laurie Cunningham (1979-84) The winger became the first British professional player to move to the Bernabeu after Los Blancos agreed a £950,000 deal with West Brom in 1979. The Londoner helped the side to a league and cup double in his first season but that proved the peak as injuries blighted the remainder of his time at the club. Steve McManaman (1999-2003) McManaman was one of the first big-name English players to exploit the Bosman ruling when he quit Liverpool to join Real on a free transfer. He won the Champions League twice – scoring a memorable goal in a player-of-the-match display against Valencia in the 2000 final – as well as LaLiga on two occasions. David Beckham (2003-07) Beckham and Real Madrid seemed a match made in heaven, but the anticipated glut of trophies did not follow. Things turned sour after Fabio Capello took over as manager in 2006 and, amid contract wrangling, the England captain was frozen out. That pushed him to agree a move to LA Galaxy but there was to be a happy ending as he was recalled for the run-in and played a pivotal role as Real claimed the league crown. Michael Owen (2004-05) The England forward spent a single season at the Bernabeu after Liverpool agreed to a cut-price £8million sale after tiring of months of contract negotiations. But he did not settle well and, despite scoring a creditable 16 goals in 45 appearances, mostly from the bench, did not look like supplanting Ronaldo or Raul in the team. He was sold to Newcastle after a year, for £15m. Jonathan Woodgate (2004-07) England centre-back Woodgate endured a torrid spell in the Spanish capital with a succession of injuries limiting him to just 14 appearances in two years. He did not play at all in his first season and, when his debut belatedly came against Athletic Bilbao in September 2005, he scored an own goal and received a red card. He departed for Middlesbrough in 2006, initially on loan. Gareth Bale (2013-22) Statistically, the Welsh winger belongs among Real's greats having helped the club to five Champions Leagues and three LaLiga titles following his world-record £85m move from Tottenham. Highlights included two goals against Liverpool, one a spectacular overhead kick, in the 2018 Champions League final but supporters were never truly won over amid a perceived rivalry with team-mate and fan favourite Cristiano Ronaldo. Embracing a Welsh fan's flag reading 'Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order' hardly helped. Caroline Weir (2022-present) The Scotland international moved to Real from Manchester City in 2022 and enjoyed a superb first season in Liga F, scoring 19 goals in 28 appearances as the team finished runners-up to Barcelona. She also scored against City to knock her old club out of the Champions League. A cruciate ligament injury prevented her building on that last term before her return to action earlier this season. Jude Bellingham (2023-present) It is sometimes difficult to believe Bellingham is still only 21, such is the remarkable impression the England midfielder has made in the game, first at Borussia Dortmund and now at Real. Revelling in an attacking role, he shone from the moment he arrived in Spain, scoring 23 goals and providing 13 assists in his first campaign that produced a LaLiga and Champions League double.
Glasgow Times
19 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Trent Alexander-Arnold speaks Spanish as he describes ‘dream' Real Madrid move
The 26-year-old England international, who has signed a six-year deal after his contract with Liverpool expired, was watched by his family as he spoke confidently at his official presentation ahead of a press conference. His choice to speak in the language of his new club and not English surprised many but showed the preparation which had gone into this move, something for which he was criticised by sections of the Liverpool fanbase after leaving the club on a free transfer. 'This doesn't happen every day, it's a dream come true and I'm very happy and proud to be here,' he said after his 20-year association with Liverpool officially came to an end. 'I want to show Real Madrid fans how I play; I'm going to give my all for the team and Real Madrid fans. 'I want to show those fans how I play, I want to win many titles and I want to be a winner here and enjoy playing alongside the many great players.' Alexander-Arnold, wearing a black suit and tie, sat next to girlfriend Estelle Behnke as a video montage was played of his best moments in a Liverpool shirt, inevitably featuring his two assists in the 4-0 Champions League semi-final comeback against Real's arch-rivals Barcelona. Trent Alexander-Arnold speaking in fluent Spanish at his Real Madrid unveiling 🇪🇸 — Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 12, 2025 His mum Dianne, sat alongside his dad Michael and brothers Tyler – his agent – and Marcell – could be seen wiping away tears as the video concluded. Real president Florentino Perez described Alexander-Arnold as: 'A player who has won everything, one of the best defenders and full-backs in world football. 'One on the greatest players worldwide is joining this club and hopefully we can write a new page in the history books.'
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trent Alexander-Arnold shows off fluent Spanish in speech at Real Madrid unveiling
Trent Alexander-Arnold surprisingly gave his welcome speech entirely in Spanish as Real Madrid unveiled their new signing at the Estadio Bernabeu. Alexander-Arnold, 26, arrives after 20 years at boyhood club Liverpool, joining for a fee of £10m to ensure his participation at the Club World Cup. The right-back was expected to sign for free at the end of June after opting not to extend his contract at Anfield, an announcement which was made at the beginning of May. However, Alexander-Arnold's first words as a Real Madrid player indicate his decision to leave was far from a last-minute one as he showed off his impressive Spanish at the welcome ceremony. 'This doesn't happen every day,' Alexander-Arnold said in the language of his new employers. 'It's a dream come true, I'm very happy and proud to be here. 'I want to show Real Madrid fans how I play. I do realise I'm signing for Real Madrid and that the demands are high, but I'm going to give my all for the team. I want to win many titles and play alongside the best players.' The ceremony kicked off with a montage of his greatest moments for Liverpool, among which included his famous performance against El Clasico rivals Barcelona in the Champions League in 2019, where he caught the Blaugrana defence napping from a corner to set up the Reds' crucial fourth goal on the night. Alexander-Arnold was instrumental in Liverpool winning Europe's most prestigious trophy that year, and later added two Premier League titles, two Carabao Cups, an FA Cup and a Club World Cup to his accolade collection across 354 appearances. The Liverpudlian left his home side on imperfect terms, with his first appearance after announcing his departure seeing him booed by the Anfield faithful. However, as he collected his Premier League winners medal on the final day of the season, a teary-eyed Alexander-Arnold was met with cheers in what was heart-warming send-off. Alexander-Arnold will wear the number 12 shirt - forced to ditch his famed 66 due to LaLiga rules - but has also changed the name that will appear on his back, opting for 'Trent' over his surname. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was sure to hail Alexander-Arnold's arrival at the ceremony, who joins in time for the start of the Club World Cup next week. 'This is a very special day for Real Madrid fans worldwide,' Perez said. 'One of the best right-backs in world football who played for one of the best clubs in the world. A legend in the game at 26 years old, today we welcome him to our family, a player who wants to don the famous Real Madrid jersey. 'We'd like to thank you for joining our club we know it means a lot, you could have signed for any club worldwide but you wanted to commit your future to Real Madrid. Our fans will never forget that gesture.' Alexander-Arnold could make his debut in Real's Club World Cup curtain raiser when they take on Saudi side Al-Hilal on Wednesday 18 June at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.
