Ipswich Town have reportedly identified Kalidou Sidibe as a replacement for Kalvin Phillips, who could leave the club in the summer should they be relegated.
Kieran McKenna's side entered the March international break in 18th place in the Premier League with just 17 points after their 4-2 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest on March 15.
The team are now nine points from 17th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers and considering the Blues have been beaten in eight of their last 10 matches in the league, it is difficult to see that gap closing.
In the event of relegation, Ipswich may have to face the possibility of losing a number of key players, including midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
However, Africa Foot report that the club are keen on signing Kalidou Sidibe from French side Guingamp in the summer window as a possible alternative to the midfielder.
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Can Ipswich beat Celtic to Sidibe?
Sidibe stands at six feet and six inches tall, and his presence at the base of midfield or in a box-to-box role could help give Ipswich a significant physical advantage.
It should be noted that the 26-year-old has never played outside of Ligue 2 in his career, and that could make a move to the Championship appealing as he may be able to iron out his inconsistencies and adapt to English football without facing the scrutiny that the Premier League brings.
However, it remains to be seen if the Tractor Boys would be able to win the race for his signature given Celtic have already made a £1.6m bid to sign Sidibe.
Other sides such as PSV Eindhoven have also been credited with an interest in the midfielder, and given both they and Celtic can offer him European football, McKenna may find it difficult to convince the Frenchman to join.
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Who else could leave the club?
Phillips is only on loan from Manchester City and he is unlikely to want to remain at Ipswich if other Premier League sides make a move for him.
There is a chance that the midfielder could be one of several exits, with striker Liam Delap strongly linked with moves away from the club to teams such as Manchester United and Chelsea.
Elsewhere, defender Jacob Greaves and attacker Omari Hutchinson have impressed at times despite their team's struggles, and they could have suitors should Ipswich be relegated.
Manager McKenna may also be the subject of interest in the summer transfer window given his excellent work to bring the club from League One to the Premier League, and his departure would leave Ipswich in a very challenging position ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Lewis Nolan
