Liverpool have snatched £5m-rated Valencia midfielder Mohamed Sissoko from under the noses of rivals Everton. The 20-year-old Mali international was a target of Toffees boss David Moyes, who tried to sign him and team-mate Emiliano Moretti in a double deal.
But the deal foundered this week when the Spanish side insisted on a buy-back clause in Sissoko's contract.
That allowed Reds boss Rafael Benitez, who took Sissoko to Valencia in 2003, to sign him subject to a medical.
I know him well and he is a very good player
Rafael Benitez on Mohamed Sissoko
Benitez said: "Mohamed is a young central midfielder who plays a high-energy game with a high tempo.
"He's young, he's not bad on the ball and he will improve the balance of our team in the middle.
Eseason ticketWhen I first subscribed a couple of seasons ago, the audio used to get totally out of sync with the video within 5 minutes. Last year some greedy media type managed to prevent us...
"He's had two good years with Valencia where he has won trophies. I know him well and he's a very good player."
Benitez is still hoping to strengthen his side further, with Real Madrid midfielder Luis Figo one of his main targets.
He added: "At the moment all we can do is wait. We have some possibilities and Figo is one of them. We'll have to wait and see.
"I'm happy with the squad we have at the moment but we're still trying to bring in two or three more players."
