What’s the story?
After being frozen out from the first team by Jurgen Klopp in pre-season, Mamadou Sakho has finally opened up about his turmoil at the Merseyside club. The 26-year-old France international has not made a single appearance for Liverpool’s first team this season and has been forced to play with the U-23’s.
Speaking to Canal Football Club, the former Paris Saint-Germain captain revealed the mistakes he had made in pre-season, which resulted in his ousting. “It is true that I turned up late. There was a rule that I should have observed. I do not at all see myself as above the rules; I respect everyone. I paid my fine, I was sanctioned, I apologised to my team-mates and my manager. Aside from that, I do not want to go into the controversies,” he revealed.
Klopp, meanwhile, has told the Liverpool defender that he no longer has a future at Anfield and has advised the Frenchman to find a suitable club before the end of the January transfer window.
In case you didn’t know...
Sakho had been part of a controversy last year, following his ban by UEFA for allegedly using a banned fat-burner which saw him miss plenty of games at the end of the season. The charges on the Frenchman were later overturned after the fat-burner was found not to be in the list of banned substances.
The real trouble though started in the club’s pre-season tour of America, where the 26-year-old regularly turned up late for training and missed team flights. Angered by his lack of professionalism, Klopp sent him back home for a recovery session following an injury. Sakho, meanwhile, made things worse for himself, with late night rants about his treatment, on social media resulting in his first team axe.
The heart of the matter
Although Klopp’s treatment of Sakho might seem harsh, there is no denying that the Frenchman was extremely unprofessional on several occasions. The French defender might have apologised for his unsportsmanlike behaviour to his manager and team-mates, but it is a bit too late for him to get back into Klopp’s good books.
What’s next?
Despite Klopp’s take on Sakho, few Premier League clubs like Southampton and West Bromwich Albion have shown interest in the French defender. French club and current Ligue 1 leaders, ONGC Nice, are also said to be interested in signing the former PSG centre back on a permanent deal while Liverpool are hoping to sell the Frenchman before the end of the transfer window.
Sportskeeda’s Take
On many occasions for Liverpool in the past, Mamadou Sakho has proved to be a world class defender. Instead of selling the fan favourite, maybe Klopp should consider giving the Frenchman another chance in the first team, especially given the rut the club are in at the moment.
