"Djibril has all the qualities to succeed with Liverpool," says the veteran Frenchman. "He's strong, fast and he has an excellent shot. Djibril has also improved a lot with his heading over the last 12 months. He scored five headers in the French championship last season.
"He will be the perfect partner for Owen and they could be one of the best strike-forces in England, but they will need someone in midfield to ensure they get enough of the ball. I think it's important for Liverpool to have Gerrard in the team behind Cisse and Owen.
"Because of the way English teams defend, it will suit Djibril. If they try to play him offside, he will just wave goodbye as he runs past them.
"Djibril will also have no difficulty settling in. He speaks some English and he's never had a problem being friends with his team-mates.
"He will work well with Benitez. I know when he was at Valencia he was looking at Auxerre players and he mentioned then how much he liked Djibril.
"I would not say he is a world-class player yet, but he's at the international standard. At the moment he's the third best French striker behind David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry, although I don't think he should be judged alongside Thierry Henry.
"He is not the same. Henry is more technical, but Djibril has more physical presence. He was the best striker playing in France. If he wasn't suspended, he would be in the squad for Euro 2004. He's better than Louis Saha. He's only there because Djibril is not."