Football
Paul Murphy 7y

Liverpool have attack to be Premier League contenders - Momo Sissoko

Former Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko believes the club's "world class" attacking talent can help Jurgen Klopp's team mount a Premier League title challenge this season.

Sissoko, who is now plying his trade with Mitra Kukar in Indonesia's Liga 1, played for the Anfield side between 2005 and 2008 before moving on to Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and several other clubs.

The former Mali international is confident that his old team are ready to push for the title after finishing fourth in Klopp's first full season.

"I think that Jurgen Klopp has a very clear vision," Sissoko told ESPN FC. "His first full year at the club was one of transition and he had to adapt to the English Premier League.

"Now they can be title contenders. They have made some good signings, like Mohamed Salah, and if they can hold on to Philippe Coutinho, it's going to be a big boost for the club, and I really think Liverpool can have a good year.

"They are exceptionally strong in attack, with players like Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Coutinho, Salah and Daniel Sturridge, who are all world class. In attack, they have everything they need to have a big season."

While Klopp's side may be blessed with attacking riches, Sissoko feels that the club's falling out with French defender Mamadou Sakho has denied them the services of a valuable asset.

Sakho spent the second half of last season on loan at Crystal Palace, having been frozen out at Anfield since April 2016, following a failed drug test. The France international now looks set to leave the club if the right bid comes in.

"In defence, they have to make up for the absence of Mamadou Sakho," Sissoko said. "I think that Mamadou's commitment and leadership should be an asset for Klopp.

"I don't know what happened between them, but I think Mamadou could have been an asset to the defence and the squad as a whole."

However, Sissoko does not think the departure of veteran utility player Lucas Leiva should leave a big hole.

Sissoko's time at Anfield briefly overlapped with Lucas, but the 32-year-old believes that Liverpool have plenty of strength in depth to cover for the popular Brazilian who played in midfield and, when needed, at the back.

"Of course, they will miss Lucas," Sissoko said. "He spent 10 years at Liverpool, so that certainly leaves a gap to fill in terms of experience. But there are players like Jordan Henderson who can fill the void, and I think that they can certainly cope with the loss with the players they have."

Sissoko's Mitra Kukar are 11th in Indonesia's Liga 1 with a game in hand. His former Premier League rivals Michael Essien (Persib Bandung), Didier Zokora (Semen Padang) and Peter Odemwingie (Madura United) are also high-profile imports in Southeast Asia's largest country, although ex-West Ham United striker Carlton Cole was sacked by Persib last week after failing to score in the first half of the season.

^ Back to Top ^