Liverpool Transfer News: Mamadou Sakho's Agent Denies Jurgen Klopp, Roma Rumours

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has no "rift" with defender Mamadou Sakho, who won't be joining Serie A outfit AS Roma this summer, according to the player's agent.

Sakho was recently sent home early from the club's pre-season tour of the United States due to an alleged attitude problem, but agent Niakate Housseyni denied any talk of a move to Rome when speaking to LaRoma24 (h/t Mirror's Andy Kelly).

"No, I haven’t had any contact with Roma," Housseyni said. "He didn’t have an argument with his manager, Jurgen Klopp. So he’ll stay at Liverpool? Yes, he’s a Liverpool player. I don’t think Roma have that opportunity right now."

Jon Super/Associated Press

Sakho was carrying an injury while out on tour, but according to Kelly's report, the player was sent home for "being late for the plane [to leave for the United States], late for a meal and missing a session."

Speculation began when news of Klopp's decision broke just after Liverpool released footage of Sakho interrupting his manager during an interview on the club's official YouTube channel:

As Kelly explained, Roma defender Mario Rui also recently suffered an injury that looks set to keep him sidelined for a long period, and rumour headlines then attached Sakho as a potential loan replacement.

Klopp later spoke to Sky Sports regarding his decision to send Sakho home early from the club's pre-season preparations and elaborated that he "can't always be the nice guy":

If agent Housseyni's claims prove genuine, Sakho need not worry about his Anfield future after all, and he'll have his chance to fight for a place in Klopp's starting XI for the season to come.

Ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Klopp has already made two additions in Sakho's position, too, bringing in former Schalke centre-back Joel Matip on a free transfer before adding Augsburg's Ragnar Klavan to his ranks.

Following the departures of Martin Skrtel and Kolo Toure, it means the Reds will be playing with almost an entirely new-look central defence this term, with Sakho and Dejan Lovren the only senior survivors.

Former Liverpool attacker John Barnes recently backed Klopp's decision to send Sakho home, too, when he was speaking to the media at the Silverstone Classic in support of Prostate Cancer UK:

"

Managers need to be given that autonomy.

The manager needs to be given that strength to then say if "I take a decision to drop somebody or to send them home or tell someone off then you will have to back me" - and the fans do.

There are certain managers, (Jose) Mourinho, (Antonio) Conte, (Pep) Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, they can take decisions and the fans will back them.

That's not happened in the past. Players have been too powerful at the clubs in the past where things have gone wrong and you blame the manager.

"

Liverpool also need all the defensive figures they can get their hands on, too, after youngster Joe Gomez suffered an Achilles injury that means he'll miss the first few months of the 2016-17 campaign.

Sakho will have learned some lessons from his first pre-season tour under Klopp and just what the German tactician is willing to accept in terms of behaviour.