Lyon lure Cissokho from Porto
Saturday, July 18, 2009
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Just a week after Lisandro swapped Portuguese titleholders FC Porto for Olympique Lyonnais, French left-back Aly Cissokho has followed suit on a five-year deal as the sides agreed a €15m fee.
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UEFA Champions League hopefuls Olympique Lyonnais have announced the capture of French left-back Aly Cissokho from FC Porto.
Sudden rise
The defender, 21, has put pen to paper on a five-year deal after the clubs agreed a fee of €15m, with Porto entitled to 20 per cent of any future transfer fee for a player they only signed in January. Until last summer, Cissokho was playing for FC Gueugnon in Ligue 2, making 22 league appearances for his first club. Vitória FC brought him to Portugal ahead of the 2008/09 campaign, yet he stayed just half a season in Setubal before Porto swooped to take him to the Estádio do Dragão.
Familiar path
Blois-born Cissokho went on to play 15 Liga games and four matches in the UEFA Champions League – catching the eye in Porto's quarter-final defeat by Manchester United FC. Cissokho becomes the second player to swap Porto for Lyon this summer following Argentinian striker Lisandro a week ago. The Portuguese champions have quickly moved to strengthen their squad, bringing in 23-year-old Argentinian midfielder Diego Valeri on loan from CA Lanús. Lyon enter the UEFA Champions League in the play-offs with Porto starting in the group stage.
