Liverpool Outcast Free To Leave Anfield For £12.5m In January Window
Dec 17, 2016 at 5:07 PM
Mamadou Sakho’s Liverpool exit appears to have moved a step closer after reports emerged that he is free to leave the club for around £12.5m.
Yahoo Sports journalist Manu Lonjon claimed on Twitter that the Reds are willing to part with the centre back if they receive an offer in the region of 15m euros for the wantaway star, but any concrete bids for Sakho have yet to materialise ahead of the January transfer window.
Sakho has fallen out of favour under manager Jurgen Klopp due to a spate of incidents and, despite insisting he was ready to fight for his place within the German’s starting lineup, is due to be sold if any interested parties stump up the required cash.
West Bromwich Albion had been keen on taking Sakho on loan in the second half of the season, but Lonjon said he believes that their interest has cooled, with Baggies boss Tony Pulis happy with the options available to him already in defence.
Clubs on the continent have also been linked with possible moves for the 26-year-old, including Inter Milan and AC Milan, although Lonjon failed to stipulate if any interest was forthcoming.
Sakho is yet to make a single first-team appearance in 2016/17 after a number of off-the-field events put paid to his playing career at Anfield.
The defender was sent home from Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States after he failed to abide by Klopp’s timekeeping requirements. Sakho then took to social media back in September to blast his manager over his refusal to hand him a chance to prove his worth to Liverpool, before backtracking and apologising for his behaviour.
Klopp, however, had heard enough and has forced Sakho to train with the Under-23s squad ever since, despite pleas from Sakho to be reinstated in the former Borussia Dortmund boss’ plans – appeals that included a video posted to Sakho’s Instagram account showcasing his return to fitness after an injury lay-off.
Klopp has opted for a centre back pairing of Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip for much of the campaign, with Ragnar Klavan and Lucas Leiva providing backup to his first-choice pairing in the event that either are injured or suspended. The return to fitness of young star Joe Gomez, who recently returned from a length spell on the sidelines with an achilles tendon injury, has pushed Sakho closer towards the exit door as well.