Lille signs Troyes defender

Sidibe, who will celebrate his 20th birthday on Sunday, has signed a five-year contract as Lille seeks a long-term replacement for Mathieu Debuchy, who has stated his wish to leave the club after being linked with Newcastle United.

Sidibe told his new club's website: "I'm very happy to join Lille, who are one of the biggest teams in France.

"The ambition and the project of the club, but also the style of play developed by Rudi Garcia, convinced me.

"Lille are an attacking team and I like the coach's philosophy.

"Even though I am a defender above all and my main role is to defend well, I am glad to be able to get forward when the opportunity presents itself."

Though Lille is prepared to allow Debuchy to move on once it has a replacement in place, it has previously been reported that the signing of Sidibe, who has no top-flight experience to date in his career, would not be sufficient to free up the France right-back.

"It's obviously a big step in my career," Sidibe said. "Up to now, I have only played in Ligue 2 with Troyes.

"I have had unforgettable moments with the club but with Lille, I will get to play in Ligue 1 and in Europe. It really is a great opportunity for me to be part of this adventure.

"The bar is high but the challenge is terribly exciting."