Player analysis: Who is Liverpool's latest signing Aly Cissokho?

The lowdown on the French full-back who has agreed a move to Anfield...but it won't be the first time he has played there

Aly Cissokho has joined Liverpool on a season-long loan (GETTY IMAGES)

Not to be confused with a past Liverpool player called Sissoko, Aly Cissokho is an attack-minded left-back who agreed a season-long loan from La Liga side Valencia today, with a view to a permanent deal.

This won’t be the first time Liverpool supporters have seen Cissokho either, he played the full 90 minutes against the Reds in the Champions League for Lyons in both group stage matches in 2009/10. Lyons won 2-1 at Anfield, and drew 1-1 in France. Liverpool failed to advance from the group stage that season, finishing in third place.

The 25-year-old will provide competition with Jose Enrique to fill the Reds’ left-back berth. Cissokho has made only one appearance for the France national team, which he made back in August 2010 against Norway in Oslo. France lost the match 2-1.

Cissokho started his career at French club Gueugnon, before moving to Portugal for the 2008/09 season, signing for Vitoria in June 2008 and then Porto in January 2009, where he won the league and cup double. A transfer back to France with Lyons followed for a reported £11m in July. Cissokho quickly became Lyons’ first-choice left-back and stayed with the club for three full seasons before he joined Valencia in August 2012.

Cissokho has a wealth of Champions League experience, having played 36 matches in the competition, and for three different teams. In addition to the two fixtures against Liverpool, he also featured Porto in both legs of their quarter-final against Manchester United in 2008/09. Porto lost to the eventual runners up United 3-2 on aggregate.

Cissokho follows Simon Mignolet, Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto and Kolo Toure in arriving at Anfield this summer.