Mohamed Sissoko to be FC Pune City's marquee signing

Mohamed Sissoko, the former Liverpool and Juventus midfielder, has been roped in by Indian Super League outfit FC Pune City as a replacement for Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Published : Oct 01, 2016 18:46 IST , Pune

31-year-old Mohamed Sissoko will be FC Pune City's replacement for Eidur Gudjohnsen.
31-year-old Mohamed Sissoko will be FC Pune City's replacement for Eidur Gudjohnsen.
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31-year-old Mohamed Sissoko will be FC Pune City's replacement for Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Pune City has completed the signing of former Liverpool and Juventus midfielder Mohamed Sissoko. He will be the marquee signing for the Hrithik Roshan co-owned club which lost its initial marquee signing Eidur Gudjohnsen to injury.

READ: >FC Pune City's La Masia clan aims ISL glory

The 31-year-old Mali international plays as a defensive midfielder and will not be a straight swap for striker Gudjohnsen as was expected. It is believed that FC Pune City's initial transfer targets former Arsenal forwards Andrei Arshavin and Emmanuel Adebayor failed in their attempts to pass the medical tests.

Sissoko has played at the highest level in different leagues across the world. After starting his career at Auxerre in France, Sissoko moved to Valencia where he became an instant hit with his do-or-die attitude on the pitch. Manager Rafael Benitez then took him to the Premier League where he played 51 matches for Liverpool before moving to Juventus.

He moved to the Chinese Super League for 2015-16 season and played with Shanghai Shenhua. The midfielder will be expected to make significant contributions to Antonio Habas' FC Pune City.

“The moment FC Pune City expressed their interest and discussed their plans, I knew this was the challenge I would love to take up. Coach Habas and FC Pune City management showed full confidence in me and I will do everything in my abilities to fight for a place in starting XI for every game because FC Pune City team is so good and compact,” said Sissoko after signing with FC Pune City.

Coach Habas, who also coached Sissoko at Valencia CF, said he was happy to have the midfielder with him again. “Sissoko is a true professional having played for reputed clubs across Europe. He told us that he is ready to take the field whenever required. He is known to be a great ball winner, a role that will allow him to support our offence for winning back possession. I am excited at the prospect of working with him again, this time for bringing glory to FC Pune City.”

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