Life has not been easy for French defender Mamadou Sakho over the last nine months. Ever since the failed drug test debacle that kept him on the sidelines for over a month last season, the defender has failed to earn his place back in Jurgen Klopp’s team.
Klopp, who had nothing but praise for the 26-year-old center back when he first took over as Liverpool manager, has since gone as far as demoting Sakho to training with the U-23 squad.
He might be a great manager in terms of dealing with his players, but Klopp is also a stickler for discipline, and that’s where Sakho clearly fell foul with his manager.
During Liverpool’s preseason tour of the USA, Klopp sent Sakho home early for discipline-related issues. Klopp later revealed that Sakho had been late for several of the team’s activities, including their flight.
The last time Liverpool fans saw Sakho on the pitch for the Reds was April 20, 2016. Still, Sakho refuses to move on from Anfield despite how far down the pecking order he is in Klopp’s plans. Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan are all preferred over Sakho, and it’s likely that Klopp would turn to even younger players before the Frenchman.
Earlier this season, when Liverpool's higher-ups told him that he’d need to go out on loan if he wanted to salvage his career, Sakho responded by turning down several loan offers. Clubs that were reportedly interested in having the defender on a season-long loan included Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Besiktas.
Unable to break into the first team, Sakho even went on Snapchat to voice his hardships.
Jurgen Klopp lays down the law to Liverpool stars in wake of Mamadou Sakho's snapchat rant https://t.co/pKPLWTjg6C pic.twitter.com/qSuat0ah5p
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) September 29, 2016
Needless to say, that little rant did nothing but further deteriorate Sakho’s image within the club. Klopp apparently laid down the law with Sakho and the rest of Liverpool’s players, saying that he would not tolerate any individual compromising Liverpool’s potential to make progress.
“Those two things, they are not a rule for Mamadou Sakho. It is a rule for every player. Work hard and do your best,” Klopp answered after being asked about one of Sakho’s Snapchats. “The rest of this? I spoke to Mama and we spoke together and that's it. From my side, everything is done and we carry on. There is nothing else to say.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was not impressed by Mamadou Sakho's snapchat rant. #LFC #Klopp
More videos: https://t.co/Q9J2MDcf4t pic.twitter.com/Zk38uNhXff— Sportdec (@SportdecApp) September 25, 2016
Now the club is no longer looking for a place where Sakho would be able to get his career back on track; they are looking to part ways with him altogether.
Liverpool has been reportedly demanding £20m for the defender and are actively seeking a deal.
The latest update on the story is that the Reds rejected a loan offer from Southampton, claiming that Sakho will only be leaving on a permanent deal.
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