Aston Villa: Aly Cissokho departing the club for Turkish side

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND- NOVEMBER 9: Aly Cissokho of Aston Villa looks on before the Premier League International Cup match between Aston Villa U23's and Celtic U23's at Villa Park on November 9, 2016 in Birmingham, England (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND- NOVEMBER 9: Aly Cissokho of Aston Villa looks on before the Premier League International Cup match between Aston Villa U23's and Celtic U23's at Villa Park on November 9, 2016 in Birmingham, England (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images) /
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Reserve left back Aly Cissokho is leaving Aston Villa for Turkish side, Yeni Malatyaspor. Cissokho, 29, spent the previous three seasons at Villa Park.

Aly Cissokho, Aston Villa’s current third-choice left back, is close to leaving the club in a permanent switch; according to reports coming out of Turkey.

A successful medical will ensure the move is announced in the coming days. As Villa knows too well, the medical isn’t a given (we’re looking at you, Sevilla).

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If you haven’t heard of Yeni Malatyaspor, you could be forgiven. The Turkish club is the newest member of the Süper Lig – having won the title in the second division last season, the TFF First League. In a bid to survive relegation against traditional powerhouses, Yeni needs additional, professional reinforcements.

The club – based in Malatya, Turkey – is managed by ex-Turkey international footballer, Ertugrul Saglam.

Cissokho was never going to feature under Steve Bruce this season. Neil Taylor is firmly entrenched as the number one left back and left wingback. Cissokho, entirely incapable of playing wingback, doesn’t offer versatility in any other position.

Jordan Amavi’s “failed” medical indicates there’s at least a chance he could be staying, too. Oscar Borg, Leandro Bacuna, Kevin Toner, and Jacob Bedeau can feature in a pinch as well.

Verdict:

Any fee will be a good one for Villa – who really need to work on trimming the squad. It’s harsh, but Cissokho was largely poor in his three seasons with the claret and blues.

Good luck in Turkey, Aly.