LIVERPOOL'S hopes of snaring a transfer fee for Djibril Cisse are set to receive a major boost when Marseille sign the player tomorrow.
Although he will initially join the French club on a season-long loan, the move is expected to be made permanent when the striker fully recovers from his broken leg.
Marseille president Pape Diouf revealed last week that a deal to land Cisse was "almost sealed" and he is expected to unveil the new signing tomorrow.
Cisse insisted last week that, ideally, he still wanted to stay at Anfield, but manager Rafael Benitez has already declared that the 24-year-old, who cost Liverpool £14million when he joined from Auxerre two years ago, is not in his plans.
Hopes that Benitez would raise transfer funds for Cisse this summer disappeared when he broke his leg playing for France in their 3-1 friendly win over China in June.
The injury forced him to miss the World Cup, at a time when Liverpool were hoping his stock would rise if he had a good tournament leading the line for Raymond Domenech's team.
Up to that point, both Marseille and Lyon were pondering bids in the region of £8million, but a loan, which will at least ease Liverpool's wage bill, was always going to be the most favourable option once the player was ruled out until October.
Also set to leave Anfield this week is Didi Hamann, with Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce confident that he will tie up a £500,000 deal to sign the German midfield maestro before the end of the week.
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