Aly Cissokho will not be offered a permanent move to Liverpool at the end of the season, as Brendan Rodgers seeks an alternative option.
The France international joined the Reds in the summer on a loan deal for the duration of the campaign, and he has gone on to make 17 appearances in all competitions. However, he has been far from convincing during his short time in England, and the Daily Star, citing reports in Spain, claims Rodgers will not offer him a regular stay.
Instead, the former Swansea City boss will wait on the fitness of Jose Enrique before reassessing the situation during the summer. The Spaniard has played just nine times this season, due to a knee injury which has kept him sidelined since November. Yet even this hasn’t helped Cissokho, who has been overlooked as the Anfield club instead opts to switch Glen Johnson to left-back and play young Jon Flanagan on the right.
The 26-year-old now faces the prospect of returning to Valencia, where he remains under contract for another two years. This will be a blow for the defender, who recently said: “I have given my very best for Liverpool and we will see at the end of the season what the two clubs will decide. But if I have to leave Liverpool, then I will leave.”
The chances of Rodgers luring a top-quality left back when the window reopens will be boosted if he can secure a place in the top-four and, as a result, UEFA Champions League football. At the moment the Reds are even in contention for the title, as they sit in second place, seven points behind Chelsea but also with a game in hand.
And it could be from the Stamford Bridge club in which the Merseyside club look for reinforcements, with Ashley Cole set to become a free agent when his contract expires in the summer. The 33-year-old is being widely tipped to leave the Blues after losing his place in the starting XI, and the Mirror last month suggested Rodgers was keen to offer the England ace the chance to ignite his career with a move to Anfield.
Meanwhile, one player who looks increasingly likely to leave Liverpool is Pepe Reina. The Spanish goalkeeper was considered surplus to requirements when Simon Mignolet was signed ahead of the current season, and he has spent the campaign on loan at Napoli. It is understood the 31-year-old has already said his goodbyes to his pals in the Reds squad, and the Mail claims the Italian side, and Atletico Madrid, are set to meet a clause in his contract which will allow him to leave for just £4million during the summer.
