Liverpool will sanction Mamadou Sakho’s departure from Anfield this summer but will seek at least £30m for the France international, whose loan spell at Crystal Palace proved so critical to the club staving off the threat of relegation.
Palace will attempt to make the centre-half’s move permanent but must weigh up whether the financial package required is viable before their fifth consecutive campaign in the Premier League. Sakho, who had been frozen out at Anfield and was not in Jürgen Klopp’s plans, made eight appearances after joining close to 1am on transfer deadline night, with Palace winning five of the seven matches he completed.
A knee ligament injury sustained against Tottenham Hotspur last month curtailed his loan spell – Sam Allardyce conceded last week that Sakho is unlikely to feature at Manchester United on the final afternoon – though the player has undergone his rehabilitation at Palace and in his native France. He was at Selhurst Park on Sunday for the 4-0 victory against Hull City, which guaranteed Palace’s Premier League status, and took part in the post-match lap of appreciation.
His reputation has been enhanced by his Palace performances, notably in wins against Chelsea and Arsenal, with Allardyce and the chairman, Steve Parish, having acknowledged the positive impact the 27-year-old made. That form has led effectively to an increase in his valuation, however, with Liverpool aware that Palace raised up to £30m through their sale of Yannick Bolasie to Everton last season and prices having potentially risen since then. Their asking price is expected to start at that level in the knowledge that left-footed centre-halves of Sakho’s calibre are at a relative premium.
“You can’t con anyone that he didn’t make a massive difference,” Parish said, talking to the Holmesdale Radio podcast after the victory against Hull. “We won some massive games with him. He’s a really nice person, a big character, he’s got the respect of all the players, and it’s one we’d like to do. But, of course, we have a lot of things we need to do in the summer, and the money needs to work for us and for Liverpool.
“I’m sure there’ll be a negotiation on that. If we can make it work, of course we’d like to, I’m not going to try and be coy or clever on that. He’s a very good player and I think he likes being with us. We like him. Let’s hope we can do it.”
Palace and Liverpool were engaged in a similar negotiation last summer over Christian Benteke, with the Belgian moving to the capital for an initial £27m.
Although Sakho has enjoyed his spell at Selhurst Park, it remains to be seen whether he is willing to make that move permanent even if a fee is agreed, or whether he will explore the possibility of playing in European competition elsewhere. His former club Paris Saint‑Germain are not believed to be interested and he has stated publicly he could not play for their bitter rivals, Marseille. Nice, who will compete in the Champions League next season, may be an option and clubs in Italy could also be of interest. Southampton may be seeking a left-sided centre-half given Virgil van Dijk’s anticipated departure for Chelsea.
Parish and Allardyce, heavy spenders in the January window, are due to speak next week over recruitment plans, with Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe and Lamine Koné, the Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph and Sakho expected to feature on their initial list of targets. Julián Speroni and Damien Delaney have signed new one‑year deals but there will be departures.
Joe Ledley’s contract expires next month, an option to make Loic Rémy’s loan move from Chelsea into a permanent deal is unlikely to be taken up, and Steve Mandanda could return to Marseille. The Scotland midfielder James McArthur has attracted tentative interest from the newly promoted Brighton & Hove Albion.