Oldham Athletic

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Oldham Athletic captured the signing of ball-winning midfielder Ousseynou Cisse on a one-year deal with an option.

The former Mali international has spent the past few seasons at fellow Sky Bet League Two side Leyton Orient before a mutual termination. Whilst at the O’s, Cisse has gained the reputation of protecting his defence and, interestingly, he has even showcased his attacking ability as he scored against Latics back in February 2020.

‘Ouss’ began his career at French side Amiens and experienced a lot of first-team football which included a promotion from Championnat National. The 6ft 5 midfielder switched to Dijon and became a real fans favourite at the Stade Gaston Gerard stadium, making 103 appearances and netting six goals in a three-year spell.

He earned himself a lucrative move into the La Liga with Rayo Vallecano on a lengthy contract before enjoying a loan move at Waasland-Beveren. He returned to France in order to join Tours, where he unsurprisingly impressed in the middle of the park.

Cisse made the transition over to England as MK Dons won the race to sign him in June 2017 and, during his time at Stadium MK, helped the club win promotion from Sky Bet League Two. He really showed his class throughout that campaign displaying his ability to dictate the tempo of a game as well as having the intelligence to break up play and as a result, several clubs were chasing for his signature.

After a brief spell at Gillingham, Cisse spent time on loan with Leyton Orient before they swooped in for a permanent deal. Throughout his time at Brisbane Road, the midfield enforcer featured 54 times for the London-based side, and he has now opted to travel up to the North West.