The Daily Mail reports that Crystal Palace are tracking the availability of Liverpool centre-back Mamadou Sakho. The Frenchman is forced into the category of misfits by Jurgen Klopp since the pair had a couple of misunderstanding moments during the pre-season.
The Eagles finally claimed their first victory under new boss Sam Allardyce on Tuesday evening as a brace from Christian Benteke helped them see off Bolton Wanderers 2-1 in the FA Cup. Big Sam is looking to build on the win with a number of new faces.
Palace are close to the roots of the league as they are only clear by the goal difference. Allardyce did sign Jeffrey Schlupp from Leicester City last weekend but is still keen to add Sakho to his defensive ranks.
Being viewed as a hindrance than a help by the Liverpool boss, the man-mountain defender has not registered a single playing minute to his name this term. He arrived at Merseyside in 2013 from Paris Saint-Germain and was hailed to be one of the club’s future leaders. Despite bagging mixed reviews on the pitch after 80 appearances, he remains in the good books of most fans due to his vibrant presence and cheekiness off the pitch, particularly on social media. In fact, there is a growing clamour among the fans to bring him back into the squad as Matip seems to be shackled with an ongoing issue with FIFA after opting not to play for Cameroon in the Africa Cup of Nations. In an overall picture, his future remains as treading water.
It’s stated that European giants like Galatasaray and Sevilla as well as a handful of Premier League teams are also in the running to secure his signature. At the age of 26, the PSG academy product has immense experience across Europe which would be vital for a hapless backline like Palace currently own. He may not be the fastest but eclipses the need for speed with aerial prowess and eagerness to stick his head and limbs to nullify threats. Keeping those much-needed attributes in mind, the Reds are seeking a fee close to £20 million for Sakho, as per BBC reports.
Having spent a significant amount of money on Schlupp, Allardyce might be opposed to splashing the cash yet again. Also, if a bidding war takes place between the aforementioned clubs, it’s easy to predict that Sakho will be favouring European football than the relegation battle.
This weekend, The Eagles welcome Everton to Selhurst Park. The visitors will come in with renewed confidence after hammering Manchester City 4-0 last time out. Meanwhile, Liverpool will square off Swansea City at home. Klopp’s men will be disappointed in allowing Manchester United to salvage a point nearing the end of the cagey match at Old Trafford last week, thus nothing but three points is acceptable against the Swans.
