Auxerre confirm interest in Cisse

20 December 2011 15:46

Auxerre president Gerard Bourgoin confirmed on Tuesday that his club are interested in signing their former striker Djibril Cisse on loan from Italian side Lazio.

"Djibril is one of the players we admire at Auxerre, which is where he was formed, and we know his qualities as a striker," said Bourgoin.

"We're struggling for goals and we're thinking about this solution. We've looked at other great players apart from him, in France and abroad, who have scored lots of goals, are internationals, but who are having trouble at their clubs.

"Recently, Djibril admitted that he dreamed of getting back into the France squad and returning to the French league with Marseille or Auxerre, where he's already played. And if he had to choose, it'd probably be Auxerre.

"He's held out a branch -- not a telegraph pole, but it's clear that we've responded to it.

"Nothing's been done for the time being. Lazio are not loaning or selling."

Cisse, 30, came through Auxerre's youth system and was the top scorer in Ligue 1 for the club in 2002 (22 goals) and 2004 (26 goals).

In total, he scored 70 goals in four seasons with Auxerre before leaving to join Liverpool, where he won the Champions League in 2005.

He joined Lazio from Panathinaikos last summer but after starting their first six games of the season, he has found himself on the substitutes bench in recent weeks.

Source: AFP