Aston Villa defender Aly Cissokho makes Olympiacos loan switch

Olympiacos have announced the loan arrival of Aly Cissokho from Aston Villa until the end of the season, with the option of signing the defender on a permanent deal.

The 29-year-old, under contract at Villa Park until 2018, has made 12 appearances for the Villans this term but has largely been overlooked since Steve Bruce took charge.

Villa have now managed to offload Cissokho, who joined from Valencia in a £3.5m deal in 2014, and are said to be hopeful of cashing in during the summer.

Cissokho's exit does leave the Championship outfit short of cover at left-back, however, with Leandro Bacuna the only senior option to fill in for first-choice Jordan Amavi.