Allardyce admission over Palace bid to keep loanee Sakho
Mamadou Sakho: Injured
Crystal Palace will find it difficult to sign Mamadou Sakho in a permanent deal from Liverpool at the end of the season, manager Sam Allardyce has confessed.
The 27-year-old France defender moved to Selhurst park on loan in January, having been frozen out of Jurgen Klopp’s plans at Anfield.
And the former PSG centre-half has made a huge impact at his new club; the Eahles winning five of the six matches that Sakho has played and keeping four clean sheets in the process.
With Sakho contracted to Anfield until 2020, Liverpool are looking for a big fee for the France international, with several suitors, including Southampton – who could be persuaded to sign Sakho in exchange for Virgil van Dijk – joining his string of admirers.
Speaking of their hopes of signing Sakho permanently in the summer, Allardyce admitted: “It will probably be very difficult [to keep him].
“It will be down to the club and Mamadou to discuss at the end of the season.
“It was such a rush job [to sign him], I’m not sure there were clauses to make anything permanent.
“His leadership, as well as his ability, has been a massive plus for me. I didn’t know he had such great leadership qualities – on the training pitch and the pitch. Those types are rarer than before.”
Sakho is expected to cost between £15m-£20m when he leaves Anfield this summer.
