Aston Villa snap up Aly Cissokho

Aston Villa, 10/3 for a top 10 finish with Coral, have moved to bolster their backline with the signing of former Liverpool loanee Aly Cissokho.

Cissokho, 26, has penned four-year deal with the West Midlands club and arrives for a reported fee of £2m from Valencia, after making 36 appearances, and netting two goals for the Spanish outfit.

The attack-minded left back will be familiar to Premier League fans already, having made 15 appearances for Liverpool during a loan stint last term. His debut for the Reds came at Villa Park, but the Frenchman, who has one cap, eventually fell down the pecking order at Anfield.

Manchester United fans will also remember the former Porto star, who put in an impressive performance against Cristiano Ronaldo when the Red Devils clashed with the Dragons at Old Trafford in the first leg of their 2008/09 Champions League quarter-final.

It is that potential that Villains coach Paul Lambert will be hoping to tap into this season. An experienced defender, Cissokho has plied his trade at a host of top teams across Europe at trophy-challenging clubs such as Porto, Lyon and Valencia.

He has also tasted silverware success, having lifted the the Portuguese league and cup, as well as domestic honours in France.

Born in Blois, Cissokho began his career with amateur clubs, before being poached by Gueugnon, and eventually spotted by Portuguese side Vitoria Setubal, where he dazzled enough to attract the attentions of Porto.

Lambert has likely brought the Frenchman in as cover and competition for fellow new signing Kieran Richardson, who can be deployed as a left back, wing back or wide midfielder.

Cissokho becomes only the second of Villa’s four summer signings to be purchased for a fee, as they struggle to attract fresh faces to reinforce their squad on a shoestring budget, because owner Randy Lerner has put the club up for sale.

Villa are 11/4 chances to be relegated this season, something that has never happened to them in the Premier League era.