IS THERE A CATCH WITH CISSOKHO? WE'LL BITE

The reliable French general-circulation daily Le Parisien is reporting, according to the also-reliable French sports daily L'Equipe (the Le Parisien story is behind a paywall, the bastards), that Newcastle United has lodged an €8 million bid for Olympique Lyonnais'star French-Senegalese left-back Aly Cissokho, matching Lyon's asking price. Cissokho has received raves for his frenetic pace and work rate at Lyon, which paid €15 million to pry him from Porto in 2009.

Wait a second: if he was worth €15 million then, why is he worth €8 million now? Also, if Newcastle is interested now, why wasn't Liverpool interested pre-Enrique? Wait a second: they were. Until a €9 million move fell through mysteriously a few weeks ago.

We don't know what the catch is with Cissokho. But we do know this: if he signs, he'll become the third member of the failed-medical club to join Newcastle this summer. As well as the first member of the failed-dental club, perhaps ever, in soccer.

Before Lyon lured Cissokho two years ago, he was on his way to AC Milan for the same €15 million tab until concerns arose, of all things, about his teeth. Contrary to what was widely reported at the time in the English-language press, Milan's staff wasn't actually worked up about his overbite. They were concerned about a related misalignment in the top of his spine, which they felt might have other effects down the line, such as bone deterioration and muscle fatigue. Sure enough, in last Tuesday's Champions League match against Rubin Kazan, Cissokho was subbed in the 52nd minute because of - according to Le Parisien - muscle fatigue.

We're speculating here. But I speak Italian, and this summer we've learned a bit of French, and from what we can make out in the media over on the continent, it would appear that Cissokho is on sale at a 50 percent discount because of a crooked line that stretches from his thigh muscles to his spine to his jawbone.

Let's try not to go overboard (even though we're Newcastle fans and that's what Newcastle fans do). Reports from Italian press sources say Milan still wanted Cissokho, overbite and all - just not for €15 million. He hasn't missed inordinate amounts of playing time. You can find opinions that he took a step backward last season; you can find other opinions dismissing that opinion. And you can find plenty of film that will make your heart race so fast your brain will forget about his teeth.

Like Demba Ba and like Sylvain Marveaux before him, Aly Cissokho appears to be a possibility for Newcastle because he entails risk. We may want to temper our excitement. But our club can't afford sure things. This desperately needed left-back seems like a risk worth taking.

UPDATE: The Lyon daily Le Progres is reiterating that Cissokho appears headed to Newcastle, and reporting that Inter Milan starlet Davide Santon is being targeted by Lyon as his replacement. The 20-year-old Santon, on loan last season at Cesena, is a hot name in Italy when discussing the future of the national squad; he's been called a "mini-Maldini" since Marcello Lippi compared him to Italy's most celebrated defender of all time. If the Santon report is true, it would seem less like Lyon is merely dumping Cissokho on Newcastle with no other plan. 

Comments

[Jonny]

Great article, if a little worrying.