Liverpool Might Sanction Sakho Loan Deal

Liverpool’s strong stance on surplus defender Mamadou Sakho has long been that they will only sanction a permanent deal, and that they were holding out for around £20 million.

The fact that Sakho hasn’t played first team football since last April—because of his wrongful doping accusations and falling out with manager Jürgen Klopp—makes the Liverpool cult favorite a bit of a risk to any potential buying club. And even in the inflated market, £20 million appears to be too much to worth risking a gamble from all potential buyers.

Now, according to The Echo, Liverpool might be softening their hard-line stance on Sakho. Apparently the Reds would be willing to accept a loan (including loan fee) to send the center back away to get first team minutes until the end of the season.

At this point, this seems like the best available option (if indeed a club takes him on loan). If the Reds were to wait until the summer transfer window, Sakho would be 27-years-old, having not played first team football in over a year. If Liverpool wish to seek anywhere close to £20 million when he finally does move away permanently, this is likely their best chance to prove that the former French international is still worth the sizable chunk of change.

As of this writing, Crystal Palace and Southampton appear to be the most likely candidates for a deadline day move away for Sakho. Obviously, thinks can and do change quickly on deadline day, so we’ll keep you posted.