Mamadou Sakho’s agent has gone on record to state that the central defender will stay put at Liverpool for the 2016/17 season.
The past few months have been extremely turbulent for the French defender. In late April, Sakho was handed a 30-day suspension by UEFA on account of a failed drug test. However, a month later, he was cleared of all charges, leaving him in contention for a place in Didier Deschamp’s Euro 2016 squad. However, the 24-year-old was not picked by the France manager.
Despite not recovering fully from an Achilles injury, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp included Sakho in the club’s pre-season tour of the United States. In America, the Frenchman reportedly got involved in a dispute with the German coach due to his attitude, which resulted in him being sent back to England. The incident unsurprisingly gave rise to speculation about the possibility of the defender leaving the club in the summer.
However, Sakho’s agent Niakate Housseyni has come out to deny any rift between his client and the Liverpool manager. Speaking to LaRoma24.it (h/t ESPN), Housseyni said:
“No, I haven’t had any contact with Roma. He didn’t have an argument with his manager Jurgen Klopp. So he’ll stay at Liverpool? Yes, he’s a Liverpool player. I don’t think Roma have that opportunity right now.”
Serie A side Roma were reportedly interested in signing the centre-back as they have loaned out Leandro Castan to Sampdoria, while defender Mario Rui suffered a cruciate ligament injury on the club’s pre-season tour. Sakho would have been a decent signing for the Giallorossi, but it now seems that they will have to look elsewhere for a quality defender.
After sending the defender back to England, Jurgen Klopp explained his decision and denied that an argument had taken place between him and the player.
“He missed the departure of the plane, he missed a session and then was late for a meal,” Klopp said (via Sky Sports).
“But it’s not that serious. It is how I said: we have some rules and we have to respect them. If somebody doesn’t respect it, or somebody gives me the feeling he is not respecting it, then I have to react, that’s all.
“We had no argument. I spoke. You cannot argue when only one person is speaking, that’s all.”
Sakho is expected to miss the start of the new Premier League campaign through injury. His Achilles problem has persisted and the Frenchman is not likely to be in the squad when Liverpool take on Arsenal on the 14th of August.