Sam Allardyce has revealed that there is no clause to sign Mamadou Sakho on a permanent deal.
Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce
Crystal Palace manager, Sam Allardyce, has insisted that the club do not have any clause to sign Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool on a permanent deal.
The 27-year-old French defender was one of the key players under Jurgen Klopp last season. However, his relationship with the Germain has strained over the course of the season, mainly due to Sakho’s attitude problems which forced Klopp to take severe action against him.
Sakho was left frozen out in the reserves and ultimately was allowed to join Crystal Palace on loan in the January transfer window.
The former PSG defender has played a pivotal role in Palace’s resurgence that saw them winning five of their last six games and conceding just four goals.
There are suggestions that Palace might try to sign Sakho on a permanent deal in the summer. Allardyce has shown interest in keeping him at the club beyond the summer, but Palace have little advantage over other potential suitors that may emerge despite paying an initial loan fee of £2m.
“There isn’t a clause because his deal was done in the Bournemouth corridor by me after we had won 2-0, and Steve (Parish, Palace’s chairman) finishing the negotiation over the phone to try and secure Mama,” said Allardyce, as quoted by The Irish Times.
“What a great deal that was. It was a negotiation on the final day (of the transfer window) — it was just about getting it done, getting the loan deal done, not haggling about other things other than just making sure we get him here.
“At the moment that has paid off for us. What happens in the summer can only happen in the summer and can only be talked about, for me, when we are safe.
“We are not safe and can’t talk about Mama Sakho being a permanent deal here because we’re still not safe and our position in the Premier League is not safe.”
What does the future hold for Sakho?
Meanwhile, according to reports from The Times, Sakho may not get to play for Liverpool again. Southampton are interested in signing the Frenchman and Liverpool could use him in a potential swap deal to lure Virgil van Dijk.
The 25-year-old Dutch defender has emerged as Liverpool’s first choice target in the summer and FSG are willing to provide Jurgen Klopp a massive transfer kitty to secure a deal for him.
Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce
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