From being a fan-favourite, Mamadou Sakho’s fall into the clutches of being a serial outcast at Liverpool is a tragic story. In his first three years at the Anfield, Sakho garnered as many as 56 league appearances but has failed to establish himself in Jürgen Klopp’s side since April, 2016 owing to his off-field tantrums.
UEFA handed him a 30-day suspension after he tested positive for a banned substance and that started a bad phase as the strong and resilient defender was sent home from Liverpool’s 2016 pre-season tour by the gaffer. The central defender has certainly fallen out of favour at Liverpool and Southampton are reported to be interested in signing him in the ongoing January transfer window.
The 26-year-old French international ticks a lot of boxes which are listed for a centre-back. With a strong physique, he possesses a formidable shield at the back, commands the back line and is phenomenal in aerial duels. He likes to play short passes, is excellent in tackles and has plenty of experience in the top flight which makes him a lucrative investment from Southampton’s perspective.
In the 2015-16 season, he was used on 22 occasions by Liverpool in the league and he mustered 1.4 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 6.2 clearances and 1 block every game on an average, thus enlisting him in the league of elite defenders in the top tier of English football.
Southampton have entered a new phase under Claude Puel and are placed tenth in the league table at the moment. On Wednesday, they defeated Liverpool by a goal to nil at St. Mary’s Stadium, courtesy to a first half goal by Nathan Redmond to clinch a slender lead going into the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final.
Apart from EFL Cup, a berth in the Europa League is a genuine target for the Saints and they do need appropriate personnel to help them achieve their objectives. Moreover, Southampton’s captain and centre-back José Fonte has handed a transfer request and was eventually omitted from the side to face Liverpool on Wednesday, which further adds fuel to the needs of the club.
On the other side of the shore, Sakho is also thoroughly assessing his options as Southampton can very well be the club he would eventually move to. Frankly speaking, even a loan move can help all the parties involved in the transfer and meet their needs and will particularly help the Saints in filling the void that would be created with the likely departure of Fonte.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored.
