Does Mamadou Sakho have a long-term future at Liverpool?

Mamadou Sakho arrived at Liverpool back in 2013 with a strong reputation and amid hype and expectation. The France international defender had played over 150 matches for Paris Saint-Germain and had just won the Ligue 1 title. Sakho was expected to be a long-term success at Anfield, but things have not gone according to plan.

Sakho has been able to make just over 50 appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool and does not seem to be in the plans of manager Jurgen Klopp. The 27-year-old was sent back home by Klopp during the Reds’ pre-season tour of the USA in the summer for not respecting the rules adhered to by the other members of the squad. The Frenchman failed to feature in a single match for Liverpool this season before being shipped out to Premier League rivals Crystal Palace in the January transfer window on loan until the end of the campaign.

Rejuvenated at Crystal Palace

Sakho has proved to be a masterstroke signing by Palace. The former PSG defender has been an instrumental figure in the Eagles turning around the form over the past few weeks and secured Premier League safety. Sam Allardyce’s side won 2-1 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, 3-0 against Arsenal at Selhurst Park and 2-1 against Liverpool at Anfield last month. Sakho did not feature against his parent club Liverpool, but he was arguably the London team’s best player against the Blues and the Gunners.

In eight Premier League appearances for Palace so far this season, Sakho has a pass accuracy of 83.9%, has made 6.3 clearances per game, and has created four chances, all according to WhoScored. The 27-year-old has been immense for Palace since his move to Selhurst Park in the summer, which is why his recent injury is a blow for the Eagles.

Sakho suffered bruising and strained ligaments injury against Tottenham Hotspur and was forced off the pitch. Palace lost the match 1-0, and that followed a 2-0 defeat to Burnley at home. Is it just a coincidence that Sakho was unavailable for Palace’s loss to fellow relegation candidates Burnley at Selhurst Park?

Crystal Palace stay

Sakho will remain at Palace until the end of the season as originally planned in January, and there is still a chance that he could return to action this month. Club chairman Steve Parish has already spoken of his desire to sign the Frenchman on a permanent contract from Liverpool in the summer transfer window, and it is not hard to understand why. Could the Reds be open to a deal, though?

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Liverpool are doing well without Sakho and are 1/10 odds to finish in the top four of the Premier League this season, according to Betway Sports. Klopp did not use the Frenchman even when the Reds were struggling defensively in the opening months of the season - the Merseyside outfit did not keep a clean sheet in the league until their goalless draw with Manchester United on October  17, 2017 - and the recent new long-term contract handed to Dejan Lovren suggests that Sakho would not be an automatic starter at Anfield next season.

Return to Liverpool?

However, the performances of Sakho in the second half of the season could change Klopp’s stance. After all, if Liverpool qualify for the Champions League next season, then they would need a bigger and more competitive squad. Sakho has a lot of international experience, and he would be a good player for the Reds against Europe’s top teams. Could Sakho and Klopp have a meeting at the end of the season and sort their differences? Yes, it is very much possible.

If Klopp does decide that he can no longer work with Sakho, then Liverpool should do their best to get maximum transfer fee for him. The Frenchman’s current contract with the Merseyside club runs until June 2020, which means that they would get decent money from potential buying clubs. Liverpool should then reinvest that money into signing a top-class defender or a quality striker in order to challenge for the Premier League title during the 2017-18 campaign and also to progress to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.