Liverpool Transfer News: Mamadou Sakho Eyed in Virgil Van Dijk, Chelsea Rumours

Southampton are reportedly eyeing up Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho as a potential replacement for Virgil van Dijk, whom Chelsea are in "pole position" to sign.  

According to the Telegraph's Chris Bascombe, Chelsea will make replacing John Terry a "priority" this summer and are the prime candidates to recruit Van Dijk in a deal likely to be worth over £50 million.

The Saints are considering Blues defender Nathan Ake and Sakho—who is also attracting interest from Napoli—among their options to replace the Dutchman.

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Per Bascombe, the Reds are also searching for a centre-back this summer, but offering Sakho in exchange for Van Dijk or Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly is unlikely to work "given the competition for their services and the huge fees."

Sakho has made three appearances for Crystal Palace since joining on loan in January and has helped the Eagles win all three and keep clean sheets in each.

As noted by Liverpool writer Joel Rabinowitz, that's a marked contrast to their prior form:

Per ThisIsAnfield's Jack Lusby, his outstanding impact has not gone unnoticed:

The centre-back was perhaps Liverpool's best defender last season, but he has not played for the Reds since April last year.

Sakho missed the end of the season because of a failed drugs test, which also cost him his place in France's UEFA Euro 2016 squad.

Though UEFA ultimately dropped the case against him, a falling out with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp saw him exiled from the team this season.

As the Guardian's Richard Foster noted, Palace have benefited greatly from his situation with Liverpool:

Indeed, Sakho has been sent out on loan while midfielder Lucas Leiva has been unconvincingly filling in at centre-back for Liverpool.

Lusby believes the 27-year-old should never have been allowed to leave:

The somewhat farcical situation his departure has led to would suggest there's no future for the Frenchman at Anfield, but Klopp's position on him is perhaps worth reconsidering given the form he's displayed.

As for Van Dijk, he has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, so it's of little surprise there are seemingly a number of clubs circling ahead of the summer.

He'd make a tremendous capture for Liverpool—particularly if Sakho does depart—and the Reds have successfully recruited several prized assets from the Saints in recent years, though Van Dijk appears set to be far more expensive.

Champions-elect Chelsea may indeed hold greater sway and the cost would be less of an issue for the Blues, but the more Sakho impresses at Selhurst Park the more viable he'll become as a possible makeweight.