Sol Bamba moves to Leicester

by Le Magazine de la Diaspora Ivoirienne et des Ami(e)s de la Côte d’Ivoire | 3 janvier 2011 13 h 02 min

sol bamba

HIBERNIAN defender Sol Bamba has joined Leicester City for £250,000.
The Ivory Coast internationalist will make his Leicester debut against Swansea City today if his international clearance arrives in time.

The move to Leicester sees Bamba, 25, renew his links with Leicester manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. He was in the Ivory Coast squad under the former England manager at last summer’s World Cup finals – although he was not called into action.

Bamba, who has for some time been linked with a move to England, would have been out of contract at the end of the season and this month’s transfer window was the final chance for Hibs to cash in on him.

The former Paris St. Germain and Dunfermline Athletic defender spent almost three seasons at Easter Road – making 80 appearances and scoring four goals.

His versatility appeals to Eriksson as he can also play at full-back and in midfield.

Bamba was omitted from the Hibs squad for Saturday’s match against Hearts to enable him to go and discuss terms with Leicester City.

Easter Road team-mate Colin Nish implied that the loss of Bamba would be softened by the fact it had been expected.

« It will be a big loss as he’s a good player, » said Nish. « But I think it’s been coming for a wee while. You always kept hearing that he was meant to be moving down. »

Bamba has undeniably been an asset at times to Hibs, but it should be noted that in his absence at Tynecastle the visiting back four looked far more coherent as a unit than it has done with him in it in many recent games.