AS Monaco defender Djibril Sidibe has revealed he had an offer to stay at Everton at the end of last season.
The French full-back spent last season on loan at Goodison Park, signing a year-long loan deal last summer as the Blues looked for serious competition for captain Seamus Coleman.
His time on Merseyside proved to be a relative success, with Sidibe regularly featuring under both Marco Silva and Carlo Ancelotti.
His deal was not extended, nor made permanent, in the summer though, with Everton instead electing to let him return to Monaco and bring back Jonjoe Kenny as Coleman’s understudy.
It seems, though, that was not always the plan, with Sidibe revealing he had an offer from the Blues to stay.
“I had a proposal to extend my stay in Everton. But staying there wasn’t just up to me,” he told Journal L’Est Éclair.
“In this case, there is nothing we can do about it; it’s the football club that received other concrete proposals, from English, German and Spanish clubs, which didn’t meet my expectations.
“So I preferred to play it safe and go home to Monaco, to a club with which I’ve had a lot of success.”
While not a huge success during his year at Everton, Sidibe was no massive failure either, making 28 appearances in all competitions and managing five assists.
Twenty-five of those appearances, and four of his assists, came in the Premier League, with the Frenchman a regular in the side between October and March.
And he has nothing but positive things to say about the experience, admitting he can’t wait to make a return in the near future.
“When I left for there, I just wanted to gain experience, to discover a new football,” he added.
“I joined a team whose captain, an emblematic player, played in my position.
“However, I was able to find my place, to play between 25 and 30 matches during the season, being good, performing well, with good statistics.
“This championship breathes football, the stadiums and the fans are fantastic. I also had the chance to rub shoulders with Carlo Ancelotti, a world-renowned coach.
“Yes, I will only have good memories of my time in Everton. I can’t wait to return to England in the very near future.”
