Mamelodi Sundowns’ Thato Sibiya Joins LOSC Lille On Loan With Option To Buy

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Thato Sibiya

Mamelodi Sundowns and French Ligue 1 club LOSC Lille have reached an agreement for the loan of promising left-back Thato Sibiya, _iDiski Times_ reports.

The 20-year-old defender will join the former French champions on a season-long loan deal, with Lille holding an option to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.

Sibiya is regarded as one of the brightest young full-backs in South Africa. Having come through the Sundowns youth system, he was tipped for a big future at Chloorkop but game time has been limited with the club’s depth in that position.

A move to Lille gives him the chance to test himself in one of Europe’s top 5 leagues and follow in the footsteps of other South Africans who have made the jump to Europe like Aden McCarthy, Rele Mofokeng Olwethu Makhanyae etc.

According to reports, the agreement between Sundowns and Lille is a straight loan. However, the French club have included an option to buy, meaning they can sign Sibiya permanently should he impress in France.

For Sundowns, it’s another example of their player development pathway working — sending a youngster to Europe to gain experience while retaining a potential future return.

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