Rumour Mill: Who Is Aly Cissokho?

Like many, I am sick to the back teeth of Alexis Sanchez and all the rubbish (nearly used a stronger word there) floating around the press and twitter about him.  It doesn't seem long ago that we were content with a deadline day swoop for DaMarcus Beasley, or a desperate renewal of Kiki Musampa's loan.  We are now being linked with just about everyone and even when there is no news or no new development the papers are full of mere speculation.


Perhaps it seems strange therefore for me to write about such rumours, well to be honest there are some that make sense, and some that aren't rammed down our throats every 30mins on Sky Sports News, these ones, whilst still probably a load of nonsense are infinitely more interesting and definitely worth thinking about.  My frustration isn't with the rumour mill, it is more with the media regurgitating here-say and presenting it as fact, something that has happened endlessly with Sanchez.


Anyone delving a little deeper into the Manchester City transfer speculation over the last few days will no doubt have come across the name Aly Cissokho, and it was with great pleasure that I saw us being linked with the 23 year old.


The French international is a left back and a pretty damn good one if you ask me.  Currently plying his trade with Lyon he has began to impress many and has attracted attention from a few different clubs, including Liverpool and Arsenal.  Previously he played in Portugal for Porto, and when he left them he very nearly signed for AC Milan only for a strange medical to put an end to the move.  The testing turned up a problem with his teeth that can symbolise potential spine problems.  Milan's loss was Lyon's gain as they shelled out €15million for the left back.


He is noted for being strong, quick, a good header of a ball, as well as having excellent stamina, in a nut shell he is everything that Aleksandar Kolarov isn't.  I recently wrote about how I felt we needed a left back as a priority and that is why I was so pleased to see this story in the press.  Whether there is any truth in it remains to be seen, the Mail reckon we are weighing up an offer of £20million, so he wouldn't come cheap, but if we can move on Jerome Boateng for something close to the £15million mark it may not be such a bad piece of business.

Clearly he is a good age, and has plenty to learn but I think he has all the raw physical assets needed to make it in the Premier League, I personally think he would be a better option than Leighton Baines who would no doubt cost more and probably not be as impressive.


As with all these stories, I feel it right to make it clear that this is probably a load of old tosh, but if it's true, and if this one came off I for one would be pretty satisfied with the deal.  Now let me check the latest on the Sanchez story again.....