Marseille have said they expect to complete the permament signing of Djibril Cisse from Liverpool, after the two clubs agreed a deal in principle, despite late interest from West Ham United.

Cisse joined Marseille on loan from Liverpool for the 2006/07 season, scoring 16 in 29 games, including two strikes in the French Cup final, which could not save his side from defeat.

The 26-year-old striker moved to Anfield for a then club record fee of £14million from Auxerre in 2004, before suffering a broken leg just months into his Liverpool career. Completing a remarkable recovery from the injury, he was back playing within six months and scored one of the all-important penalties as his side triumped in a shoot-out against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final.

Injury struck once more in 2006, when a broken ankle suffered in a warm-up match against China ruled the French international out of the 2006 World Cup finals.

He scored 24 goals in 70 appearances for Liverpool, including a brace in the club's 3-1 Uefa Super Cup defeat of CSKA Moscow in 2005.

Marseille also claim to have completed the capture of Liverpool midfielder Boudewijn Zenden on a free transfer.

The 30-year-old, who has played for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Liverpool during his career, made his last competitive appearance in Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to AC Milan in the final of last season's Champions League.

"Zenden has the profile we were looking for in every respect,” Marseille sporting director, Jose Anigo, said. "He is a player who will bring to the side the balance it was looking for last season when we had an under-strength left side. He is the ideal player for us, with an international standing befitting a club playing Champions League football.”

Anigo believes the club achieved something of a coup by signing the Dutch international. “Yes, he was a free player who had escaped the notice of many clubs who thought he would be impossible to get. But we pulled it off because we managed to keep it secret right up until the end. That made things much easier for us," he said.