Crystal Palace secure deals for Mamadou Sakho and Luka Milivojevic

A busy day of negotiations at Crystal Palace saw the club bolster their ranks with the addition of the Serbia midfielder Luka Milivojevic and request an extension to complete the signing of Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool on a six-month loan deal.

Sakho had sat out a lengthy Uefa suspension after taking fat-burning pills, a drugs offence for which he was subsequently cleared over the summer, and then fell out of favour with Jürgen Klopp having been sent home from a pre-season tour for a breach of discipline. He had rejected the chance to move to clubs such as Stoke City, Besiktas and West Bromwich Albion in August in the belief he could perform for an elite club.

Yet the France international subsequently suffered from an achilles problem and, having slipped further down the pecking order at Anfield, effectively accepted he had to move in January to rekindle his career. He had been coveted by Spartak Moscow but his preference was always to remain in the Premier League, with Southampton and Swansea having considered bids only to be put off by Liverpool’s £20m valuation of the player.

Yet that stance softened at the last. Palace, anxious to add more athleticism to their defensive ranks, duly opened talks and, having seen an initial £12m offer rejected, persuaded Liverpool to part with the player initially on loan. That will involve a fee, believed to be around £2m, and the covering of the centre-half’s entire wage package. He will become Palace’s second loanee from another Premier League side, with Loïc Rémy currently on a year-long deal from Chelsea.

It remains to be seen how match-fit Sakho is given his only football over recent months has been with Liverpool’s under-23s development side. Milivojevic, a defensive midfielder, will also need time to adapt to the English game but had been in fine form in Greece to prompt Palace’s interest. The 25-year-old spent the day undergoing a medical in central London before confirmation of his £11m move from Olympiakos.

The former Red Star Belgrade and Anderlecht player boasts 19 caps for Serbia and has signed a deal through to 2020 at Selhurst Park. “I am delighted to bring Luka to the club,” said Allardyce. “He has experience in the Uefa Champions League and international football and will add a new dimension to our midfield. He is a talented, two-footed player with intelligent passing ability as well as being very strong defensively, in and out of possession.”

Palace, who loaned Jordon Mutch to Reading and Noor Husin to Accrington Stanley, opted to retain Andros Townsend despite strong interest from Newcastle United to bring the England international back to Tyneside. The winger duly set up Palace’s second goal in their 2-0 win at Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

That match was attended by the Palace chairman, Steve Parish, while Palace were still considering whether to pursue a move for the Everton forward, Arouna Koné. The Ivorian, who had scored a hat-trick against Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland last season, had been made available for transfer as he entered the final six months of his contract at Goodison Park after making only three Premier League appearances this season.

Palace discussed securing the player on a free transfer, effectively taking over the remainder of that deal, but the deadline passed with the 33-year-old’s future still unclear. Kone has only scored against Dagenham & Redbridge, Carlisle and Yeovil Town since that treble against Sunderland in November 2015.