Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand believes Liverpool has let go their “best defender” after allowing Mamadou Sakho to join Crystal Palace on loan till the remainder of the season.
It isn’t a secret anymore that things haven’t been rosy between Jurgen Klopp and the Frenchman. Sakho has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield and was predominantly partaking in the under-23 matches.
Speaking on BT Sport (via the Sun), Ferdinand said: “I think he’s Liverpool’s best defender when he’s fit and available.
“Last season he was very good and I think they’ve missed him this season.
“Like Stevie [fellow BT pundit and ex-Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard] said, he was their leader at the back, athletic.
“He’ll be a great addition to Crystal Palace because he will add a bit of pace and aggressiveness to the back four.”
The former Paris Saint-Germain man got off the good books of Klopp during the pre-season after showing up late in a number of training sessions. He did pay a fine and regretted the incident but the route to first-team football was already slammed shut for Sakho. Several Premier League and European clubs were interested in acquiring his services in the summer but the man-mountain defender opted to stay and fight for a spot. However, the decision bore no fruit.
The Eagles are struggling at the roots of the league table and bringing over Sakho is a smart move. Disciplinary issues aside, the 26-year-old does ooze quality to help them surge out of the danger zone. Standing at 6′ 2″, his aerial prowess avails not only in defence but also during set pieces. What he lacks in pace, he makes up with great leadership and ability to stick heads and limbs to nullify treats. Even a portion of Liverpool fans were hoping for a Matip-Sakho partnership at the heart of defence.
However, is Sakho actually Liverpool’s best defender?
No. Matip is certainly a better upgrade of the France international as he is often calm and composed and barely puts a wrong foot. And, coming in for free from Schalke in summer, makes him a dictionary definition of a bargain. Sakho is somewhere between Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan. But the former has considerably improved under Klopp’s tutelage and has a knack for scoring from set pieces. Meanwhile, Klavan is a reliable deputy of the two first-choice centre-backs.
Sakho, on the other hand, will be looking to reap up positive reviews at Selhurst Park. A similar scenario like his new Palace teammate Christian Benteke, who was below par at Liverpool, after arriving for a massive fee from Aston Villa in 2015. The Frenchman was fairly excited about the move to Palace and is keen to get his career back on track.
Sakho said: “It was really, really long day for me and my family but now I am really happy to sign here because the project is really, really interesting.
“It is a big challenge and I came for that.
“The most important thing for me is we need to try to win a lot of games and I know we have a good squad I have a few friends playing here. They called me on the night (of my move) like Christian Benteke.”
With the Reds already being linked with a number of central defenders, they would prefer to sell Sakho in the upcoming transfer window. In fact, the loan deal at Palace could turn into a permanent one if the London club meets Liverpool’s £20 million price-tag.
Do you agree with Rio Ferdinand’s comments?
