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Mamadou Sakho to Crystal Palace had long seemed the mostly likely final chapter in the bizarre saga of the French defender’s Liverpool career. Earlier on deadline day, there looked to be a twist in the tale, with reports that Crystal Palace had acquired Eliqauim Mangala from Manchester City - a development that in turn signaled the end of any interest in Sakho.
Or so it seemed.
Now, it appears Sakho may indeed be headed to join the Eagles. A number of sources close to the club have indicated on Twitter that a deal in the region of £26 million has been agreed upon, and that a medical is the next step.
#LFC and #CPFC agree fee of £26 million for Mamadou Sakho, who will undergo a medical.
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) August 31, 2017
#LFC and Palace close to agreeing deal for Mamadou Sakho. Defender set to undergo medical this evening.
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceEcho) August 31, 2017
If the transfer does go through, it will hardly be a huge surprise for Liverpool supporters. This was a move that made sense for pretty much everyone, given that Palace were prepared to pay something close to what Liverpool wanted, and that the player acquitted himself reasonably well while out on loan.
What will be a greater surprise is if the Reds don’t add to their depth at the central defender position, given that, however unlikely a return was for Sakho, their options just got even fewer.