Who is Sol Sidibe? The Stoke wonderkid wanted by Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 6 Sept 2024 19:43 BST
• 4 min read

Stoke City’s academy is far from renowned, but in Souleymane Sidibe they have produced a potential superstar.

The teenager has already made a handful of appearances for the Potters’ first-team and he was courted by a host of top Premier League sides before signing his first professional contract at the bet365 Stadium.

But, who is Sol Sidibe and how good might he become?

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What position does Sol Sidibe play?

Sidibe is a box-to-box central midfielder.

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How good is Sol Sidibe?

Sidibe, who is the son of Stoke legend Mamady, is one of the most highly-rated midfielders in English football.

He made his first-team debut for Stoke against Rotherham in August 2023, becoming the club’s third youngest player of all time at just 16 years and 176 days old.

Four days later, Sidibe was handed his first senior start in an EFL Cup win over West Bromwich Albion.

After the game, Alex Neil, who was in charge of Stoke at the time, told BBC Radio Stoke: “I thought his performance justified why he's been with the first team all pre-season and why I played him in the game.

“I had no concerns over him. He's a terrific talent but he's also really mature, for being so young.

“He did exactly as I expected him to do - he did wonderfully well and he's played in a Stoke team that won the game, and played the majority of the match.

“I think when you're 16 years old, most players of that age could only dream of doing something like that.”

Sidibe went on to make seven further appearances during his debut campaign with the club’s senior side, while he notched one goal and four assists in 14 Premier League 2 matches for Stoke’s U21s in the 2023-24 season.

His rise to prominence in the Championship ensured that before he signed his first professional contract with the Potters in July, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all reportedly attempted to snap him up.

However, Sidibe opted to remain at Stoke, and he subsequently grabbed his first assist for the club in a 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle on 31 August 2024.

In addition to his exploits at club level, Sidibe is also a regular in the England youth set-up. He made his England U18 debut in March 2024 and he starred during their 2-2 draw versus Portugal during the September international break.

What clubs are interested in Sol Sidibe?

Sidibe’s emergence onto the senior stage at Stoke has attracted interest from multiple Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa, Liverpool, Man City and Man Utd.

Chelsea, Juventus, AC Milan, Monaco, Rangers and Brighton & Hove Albion have also been keeping tabs on the teenager, as per The Daily Mail and Foot Mercato.

How old is Sol Sidibe?

Sidibe was born on 10 February 2007. He is 17 years old at the time of writing.

When does Sol Sidibe’s contract expire?

Sidibe’s current Stoke contract runs until 30 June 2027.

What is Sol Sidibe’s Instagram?

Sidibe’s Instagram account is @solsidibe.6. He has 10k followers as of September 2024.