Before Andy Robertson became Liverpool’s star left-back, the club found it difficult to find a player who could consistently perform in that position.
The summer of 2013 saw Brendan Rodgers move to address the issue by sanctioning a loan deal for a player chased by others around Europe. On this day nine years ago, Liverpool completed the signing of Aly Cissokho from Valencia.
Fresh from a year in the Anfield dugout, Rodgers was keen to put a stamp on his squad with a big transfer window. Cissokho wasn’t a signing to steal the headlines, but it was aimed at being a shrewd move for little to no investment.
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Even before the deal was signed, Cissokho spoke publicly about moving to Merseyside. The left-back admitted, though, that he did not know whether a transfer would take place.
"Liverpool have made me an offer and it is true that I have reached an agreement with them,” told French newspaper Le 10 Sport in August 2013. "It is now up to the clubs to agree terms. I expect to know more later this week. If nothing happens this week, it probably means that I will not be going to Liverpool.
"The conditions of the transfer are the problem. Liverpool prefer a loan deal with an option to buy, while Valencia want to sell straight away. If the transfer doesn't take place, it's not a problem either. I am feeling well at Valencia."
While Cissokho felt confident to speak about the move, Rodgers was less so. In fact, when asked about the deal after the defender’s comments, the Northern Irishman was quick to shoot down the reports of a deal nearing completion. "There’s nothing on the Cissokho story," he said.
In the end, though, a loan deal was struck between Liverpool and Valencia for Cissokho. The plan would be that he would battle with Jose Enrique for the left-back spot at Anfield, and he was very keen to get to work.
"I'm very happy to be here. I think we have a great team and great fans and together we can achieve big things,” Cissokho told Liverpoolfc.com, after signing for the club in August 2013. "It's going to be a great experience to be able to rub shoulders with the club's top-quality players. I have experience in the game, but coming here there will still be lots of things to learn and discover as I work with everyone every day.
"I can learn from my new manager, get to know the new style of play here, familiarise myself with different opposition teams and learn the language. It's going to be a great experience for me, and of course playing for the club for the first time is something I'm excited about."
However, just days into his stint at Anfield, Cissokho would be dealt a major blow. In his first full appearance for the club in a League Cup win over Notts County, Cissokho would suffer an ankle injury.
Rodgers would confirm days later that it was a serious injury and that Cissokho would be sidelined for several weeks. Not the ideal start for a new signing.
"Aly Cissokho will be slightly different - he could be four to six weeks, which is a blow because he came in and trained really well last week," said Rodgers. "But he is on crutches at the moment and we'll look at that over the coming weeks. But he certainly won't be available."
It was an injury that proved to be significant to Cissokho’s chances of impressing at Liverpool. After his recovery, the defender explained how it felt to pick up the injury just days into his Reds career.
"After five minutes, from a tackle, my ankle turned,” Cissokho told L’Equipe, via Goal, in 2013. "It was a big sprain. The most significant injury of my career, at the worst time.
“A piece of cartilage had moved and I had to have surgery in London. It was a very difficult time. I was scared. The operation delayed my adaptation."
Thankfully for Cissokho, his injury would only last for a couple of months. His return coincided with an serious injury to fellow left-back Enrique, who was sidelined for the rest of the season.
Rodgers believed in Cissokho, and had no issues with throwing the defender into the team despite coming back from injury and at a new club. His first league start would come in a 2-2 draw with Newcastle United in October 2013, a performance which certainly impressed Rodgers.
“I’ve got no concerns about playing Aly," said the boss. "I thought he was excellent against Newcastle. Considering that was his first full Premier League game, he did really well. He got up into the advanced areas when we want to see him and put some great crosses in.
“He will only get better and in training this week he has been outstanding. His fitness is excellent and he knows the role well. He will provide real stiff competition for that position this season.”
Rodgers would end up alternating his full-backs quite a lot over the course of the season. Jon Flanagan would come into the team and perform at either left or right-back, while Glen Johnson was also used.
One of his most memorable moments came courtesy of Luis Suarez against West Brom in October 2013. While Suarez scored a hat-trick, one of his goals was provided by Cissokho, who dug out a cross which found the Uruguayan's head on the edge of the box, which flew into the top corner. It became one of Suarez's most memorable goals in a Liverpool shirt.
The rotation restricted Cissokho to just 19 appearances for the Reds in his solitary season at the club. And in March 2014, a decision was already taken on the player’s future.
Even though Liverpool had a choice of whether or not to sign Cissokho on a permanent deal, they chose not to. The left-back would return to Valencia at the end of the season, but he would soon be back in the Premier League. The summer of 2014 saw the full-back join Aston Villa on a permanent deal.
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