Liverpool Transfer News: Aly Cissokho Wants to Take Reds to Champions League After Completing Loan Switch From Valencia

Aug 20, 2013 11:10 PM EDT

Liverpool completed the signing of Aly Cissokho from Valencia on a season-long loan deal.

Cissokho has been linked with a move to Anfield for a while now, and now becomes Brendan Rodgers' fifth summer signing following the arrivals of Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto, Simon Mignolet and Kolo Toure.

"I feel extremely proud to be here and I'm proud of all the hard work I've put in so far throughout my career," the 25-year-old said.

"I've always dreamt of one day signing for a really legendary club. I've been lucky enough to play for a few top sides and so to now get the chance to play for a club like Liverpool, it's just fantastic.

"I've always said, along with a lot of other French players, that I really love the English league, and although I've been fortunate enough to have played at some big clubs, in the back of my mind, I've always wanted to play in England.

"It's really pleasing when a club like Liverpool shows interest in you, and when that interest becomes more serious, you really can't wait for the move to go through. Now that the transfer has been completed, I'm really happy.

"I hope to feature in as many games as possible. I know it's going to be quite tough and I need to get to work as soon as possible as pre-season is over and we are into the league programme."

Cissokho, who will compete with Jose Enrique for the left-back slot, is determined to take Liverpool back to the Champions League, having featured in Europe's elite club competition for three different teams in his career so far.

"I was fortunate enough to play at Anfield and it was a really special occasion for me," he added. I have some great memories of that night. Although it was us that grabbed the win, it still remains a good memory.

"We'd been preparing for that game for four or five days before, on the outskirts of Liverpool at a golf hotel in Formby and, of course, a game against Liverpool at Anfield was something special for myself and the whole team.

"Although we knew it was going to be tough, we managed to win, and so that made it an even bigger occasion for us, as did the special atmosphere of the crowd -- so typical of England and especially Liverpool.

"The Champions League is a competition that you dream of taking part in and I think that a club like Liverpool richly deserves to be involved in it because of the quality of its players and the atmosphere and quality of its stadium.

"Champions League nights at Liverpool are the kind of games that are really special for the players in any away team coming to Anfield, and that's why Liverpool very much deserve to be a part of that competition."

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