Crystal Palace are still trying to sign Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho but are hesitant because of the Reds’ insistence on their £20m valuation.
According to Sky Sports, Liverpool want to get rid of Sakho within this window but are remaining firm on their asking price of £20m which Crystal Palace are reluctant to pay. The Reds even rejected a loan move from Southampton earlier this month as they want full value for the Frenchman.
Crystal Palace trying to sign Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool before tomorrow’s deadline. Problem = high valuation (£20m) & big wages
— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) January 30, 2017
Sakho’s fall from grace at Anfield has been well documented. The defender was a regular under Brendan Rodgers and was considered one of the most talented young centre-backs in the world when he was signed for £18m from Paris Saint-Germain.
Sakho went on to play a key role in Liverpool’s surprising title challenge in 2013-14 but constant injuries meant that he was restricted to just 19 appearances in the league as Liverpool eventually faltered and finished as runners-up.
The Frenchman’s behaviour began to deteriorate from there. Sakho left the stadium after being excluded from the squad for Liverpool’s clash against Everton in the 2014-15 season. He once again established himself in the team in December but more injuries meant he was in and out of the squad once more.
Sakho was even rewarded with a new contract last season and Jurgen Klopp was initially full of praise for the Frenchman. However, things took a turn for the worse in April last year when UEFA announced he was under investigation for doping charges.
He was subsequently banned for 30 days after testing positive for a fat-burning substance although the case was later dismissed by UEFA in July 2016. This season, Sakho was sent home from the Reds’ tour of the US after Klopp said he had not respected the rules placed on the team.
He has since not made a single appearance for the Reds this season. Sakho himself iterated his desire to leave Liverpool earlier this season and was subsequently linked with a move back to his native country as Lille were said to be interested.
However, it now appears that Crystal Palace are the front-runners for his signature. Should Liverpool decide to show some flexibility on the transfer fee the defender could yet move to Palace before the end of deadline day but it appears that there is a stalemate at the moment.
