Sakho poses in new Palace colours as Liverpool nightmare ends

Mark Scott
Mamadou Sakho: Palace new boy

Mamadou Sakho: On loan at Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace have agreed to sign defender Mamadou Sakho on loan from Liverpool for the rest of the season.

The clubs had been in negotiations over a permanent transfer but Palace were unwilling to meet Liverpool’s asking price for the centre-half, reported to be £20million.

An agreement for a loan deal was reached just before the transfer window closed at 11pm on Tuesday, which will see Palace pay a £2million loan fee as well as fund the player’s full wages during his stay at Selhurst Park.

Sakho was a regular at the heart of the Reds’ defence last season alongside Dejan Lovren but he has not featured for the first team since April and has been out of favour with manager Jurgen Klopp following misdemeanours during pre-season.

The France international was sent home from the club’s summer tour to the United States for ill-discipline and has spent much of this campaign turning out for the Under-23 side.

He was reportedly withdrawn from a reserve match this month because the club were concerned about the risk of an injury jeopardising a potential sale.

The 26-year-old recently revealed the details of his fall-out with Klopp and accepted he has made mistakes.

“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,” he told Canal Football Club.

“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.”