Sakho was told to leave the club on loan, but remains at Liverpool now the transfer deadline has passed.
Mamadou Sakho celebrates with manager Juergen Klopp after scoring for Liverpool
Former Liverpool midfielder Jan Molby thinks that Mamadou Sakho remained at the club this summer because the Frenchman thinks he’s as good a defender as the rest of the options at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal.
Several reports, including one from the Liverpool Echo, suggested that Sakho was told to go out on loan to prove his fitness and professionalism after a difficult period which hasn’t seen him play a competitive game of football since the Merseyside derby in April.
Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho
The player is said to have turned down several loan opportunities, including interest from clubs in the Premier League, and has run the risk of not featuring at all this season.
Molby wrote in his Liverpool Echo column: “There was no official statement from Liverpool about Mamadou Sakho but the rumours were clear that it would be better for him in the short term to go out on loan.
“He’s probably looking at the other centre-halves at the club and thinking ‘I’m as good as them’ and he can fight his way back in.
“A few things have clearly gone on and Klopp didn’t want to be wasting energy on people he couldn’t trust.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp before the match
“It’s going to be really difficult for Sakho to get back in the team now because he’s at least third or fourth choice centre-back.”
It seems that Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren are the preferred duo at centre-back for Jurgen Klopp, while the Liverpool boss also has Ragnar Klavan, Lucas Leiva and the returning Joe Gomez available to play that position throughout the season.
There is a battle on Sakho’s hands to get back into the side as Klopp was clearly content with the defensive options at his disposal. He evidently feels he is good enough to play for Liverpool but he has a lot to prove to the manager, and not just on the playing side of things, it seems.
It’s clear the player got his wish in terms of the club he is at, now the hard work really starts for him.
Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho celebrate after Borussia Dortmund
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
