Cissé opens the way for £10m transfer to Liverpool

The French striker, Djibril Cissé, has raised the possibility of a £10m move to Liverpool if Gérard Houllier can find the requisite funds.

The Auxerre forward has revealed that there has been an official approach from Liverpool, who have been trying to sign him for over a year. Houllier has spoken to his close friend Guy Roux, the Auxerre coach, in the past week to set up a transfer in the summer.

The deal will depend on Liverpool qualifying for the Champions' League both in terms of the revenue it would generate and the lure it would provide for Cissé.

"Without hesitation I would say that England is my chosen destination," Cissé said. "Liverpool have followed me for years and it is a club I admire. We played them in Europe this season and I liked the crowd and the way they supported their team. They are formidable and they never boo their players.

"Marseille have shown an interest in me but Liverpool are the only ones to have made an approach, so I can only talk about them."

Liverpool tried to sign Cissé last summer but Auxerre persuaded him to stay on for their own Champions' League campaign. They were eliminated in the first group stage of the competition and then lost to Liverpool in the Uefa Cup. Cissé is now ready to move after telling Auxerre he will only play for them for one more year, thus forcing them to accept an offer shortly.

"I will not have a war with Guy Roux," Cissé said. "He is a nice man and I respect him. He has helped my career. But I will only play a maximum of one more year at Auxerre before I move. If they want to sell me now that is down to the clubs."

If Liverpool sign Cissé it will increase the pressure on Emile Heskey, who has lost his place to Milan Baros. Cissé similar to Heskey in build and it would be unlikely that both would be required.

Meanwhile, another forward with Liverpool connections, Robbie Fowler, will make his first appearance at Anfield this weekend since his surprise move to Leeds United in November 2001. The striker, who is now at Manchester City, was with the club since he was 11 and he is still an idol at Liverpool. Many fans were upset when he was sold, so he can expect a hero's reception when he runs out alongside another former Liverpool striker, Nicolas Anelka, for a game that means so much to the Merseysiders' Champions' League hopes.

Houllier insists Fowler will be "welcomed like a son", but that adulation and respect will not stop Liverpool going for their fifth win in succession and eighth in nine matches. "It was a shame for Robbie that he suffered so many injuries," Houllier said. "But when a player leaves you always think of the good things about him. I really can't say anything bad about Robbie and I'm sure he can't say anything bad about the club either. As I've said, he's like a Liverpool son, but sometimes in life there comes a point when your son has to leave the house."

Fowler's last months at Anfield were wrecked by injuries and those more than anything cost him his place in the side and forced him to leave. Fowler has previously admitted that when he left he "felt like crying because it was as if a big part of me was being taken away".

Houllier appreciates Fowler's return will be an emotional day for the player and the Liverpool fans. He said: "He was very popular with the staff, the fans and the players. I'm sure the fans will cheer him like they do whenever ex-players return who have served us.

"I like that about this club. But I'm sure they will support us even more because they know what is at stake, I'm sure Robbie will be the first to acknowledge and understand that. The most important thing for us is that we win the game."

Liverpool are confident that John Arne Riise (hamstring), Dietmar Hamann (ankle) and Jerzy Dudek (groin) – who have all missed international friendly matches this week – will be fit to face City.