Liverpool Transfer News: Mamadou Sakho Ready to Leave, Latest Reds Rumours

Mamadou Sakho has accepted that he will need to leave Liverpool in order to secure first-team football, according to David Anderson of the Mirror. 

The 26-year-old defender has been training with the under-23s after being made surplus to requirements by manager Jurgen Klopp, and he has reportedly realised he will not play for the club again following his extended period away from the first team.

Sakho signed a five-year deal at Anfield in September 2015, just three weeks before Klopp was appointed Liverpool manager, but his erratic behaviour under the German has seen his stock fall dramatically since then.

He has not played for the senior team since UEFA banned him for 30 days in April for failing a drugs test. Tensions between the two men first arose when Sakho was sent home from Liverpool’s U.S. pre-season tour for disciplinary reasons, and their relationship has soured ever since, per Anderson.

Dave Thompson/Associated Press

The Frenchman rejected the chance to join Stoke City on loan on transfer deadline day, which led to an angry Klopp banishing Sakho from the first-team squad on what appears to be a permanent basis. He turned out for the under-23s in late September, per the Daily Telegraph, but after an outburst on Snapchat, his Liverpool career all but came to an end.

"Now it's three weeks I [have been] fit to play games," he posted on the image-sharing service, per Aaron Flanagan for the Mirror. "I [have] finished all my rehabilitation work. They don't want me to play also with second team. ... Why? I don't know. I accept my situation, but I can't accept the lie...the fans deserve to know the [truth]!"

Signed for £18 million from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013, Sakho’s £100,000-per-week wages make any potential move in January a tricky one. Lille are reportedly interested in acquiring his services, although a loan move to France would have to be heavily subsidised by Liverpool, per Anderson.

Aside from issues with his professionalism, it is possible Klopp does not believe Sakho possesses enough composure on the ball to warrant a place in the first-team squad. The Frenchman is prone to panicked clearances and wayward passes, neither of which are tolerated in Liverpool’s high-octane possession game. Many Liverpool fans have expressed similar opinions, per the Liverpool Echo:

He made 22 Premier League appearances for the club last season before his ban, and, given the amount of football he has missed over the past six months, it comes as no surprise that Sakho might finally be willing to accept that he needs a transfer.

Didier Deschamps’ France squad is packed with top-quality defenders, making consistent first-team football a top priority should Sakho harbour ambitions to re-enter the national setup.

In other transfer news, longtime Liverpool target Mahmoud Dahoud is on Manchester City’s radar, as per Joe Rimmer for the Liverpool Echo. The 20-year-old central midfielder could reportedly be brought in for as little as £8.5 million next summer, meaning his club, Borussia Monchengladbach, may be looking to offload him for a larger fee in January.

City boss Pep Guardiola is believed to be impressed with Dahoud’s progress this season but will need to act fast. Juventus are preparing a £13.4 million bid for the Gladbach star, per Rimmer.

It seems Klopp is already looking at ways to improve his side despite the Reds' excellent start to the 2016-17 season. If he can get Sakho off the wage bill and bring in yet more exciting young players from Europe, Liverpool's first league title since 1990 could be close.