From Unknown to Serie A: The Aly Cissokho Story

At a time when players are changing clubs for sums in excess of ₤50 and ₤80 million, it is hardly surprising that little notice is given to a transfer that amount to just ₤12 million. Even more so when there are no British club involved.

Yet there is plenty that is noteworthy in Aly Cissokho’s move to AC Milan.

Two years ago, Cissokho made his debut at Geugnon in what was a desperate season for them. Anchored at bottom practically from the first day, they were relegated to the French Third Division having won just five games all season.

Eager to avoid playing at such a lowly level, Cissokho moved to Portuguese side Vitoria de Setubal. It was a good move for him, but only just. True, they played in the Portugues Primera Liga but that was about the only positive thing about them. A squad of limited ability coupled with financial problems that saw the players going some two months without being paid, there was never any doubt that they were going to struggle.

So it proved to be yet Cissokho did well enough to attract Portuguese giants Porto to make a move fore him in January. Initially it looked like a stop-gap move, a player signed purely to bolster the squad in case of emergency. Yet that wasn’t the case.

A series of injuries meant that a chance quickly came his way and suddenly Cissokho found himself playing in the Champions League against Manchester United. It was the ultimate test and Cissokho played exceptionally well. As he did for the rest of the season where he helped the side to the Portugues League and Cup double.

That would have been enough to signify a fairytale ending, yet there was more to come. Both Marseilles and Lyon had expressed interest in signing him before, out of nowhere, Milan came in and tabled a ₤12 million bid.

Even then there was a further twist as the medical revealed, out of all things, a problem with the Cissokho's wisdom teeth. A strange situation but apparently one that could have been indicative of posture problems. Nothing to it, however, as a second medical gave him the all clear to move.

Now all that Cissokho has to do is replace the living legend that is Paolo Maldini. A next to impossible task for many defenders yet, for the man who has made it all the way from Guegnon to the top, not even that will be too much to ask.

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