Auxerre president Jean-Claude Hamel today insisted that Djibril Cisse will definitely be a Liverpool player next season.
Cisse, who is contracted to Auxerre until June 2006, has been a long-term target for Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier who is keen to team him up with England striker Michael Owen.
Hamel is adamant that a deal will be finalised with Auxerre powerless to match the money on offer to Cisse at Anfield.
"Djibril will play in a great European club next campaign, this is 100 per cent," Hamel said today. "Liverpool have been following him for ages, and the details of his transfer are now on a very positive path.
"We cannot prevent our talented players leaving the club and talented players like Cisse join great European clubs like Liverpool. We can't really challenge them financially anyway."
Auxerre coach Guy Roux told France Football today that Liverpool were ready to pay up to £13.9 million sterling for Cisse.
"This is a huge and realistic sum," said Roux, who also claimed Cisse travelled to Liverpool at the start of the week to visit the club's facilities and pass his medical.
"Cisse passed his medical at the start of the week," claimed Roux. "He found the agreement with Liverpool and this is now both clubs' role to finalise the deal."