Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Liverpool transfer news: Mamadou Sakho told to accept loan move after rejecting Stoke and West Brom

The France international is thought to have rejected temporary moves to both Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion

Mark Critchley
Tuesday 30 August 2016 16:53 BST
Comments
Sakho returned to training at Melwood last Monday
Sakho returned to training at Melwood last Monday (Getty)

Mamadou Sakho has been told he must leave Liverpool on loan before the transfer window closes on Wednesday, according to reports.

The France international is thought to have rejected temporary moves to both Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, having expected bigger clubs to move in for him.

Jürgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, believes Sakho still has a future at Anfield, report the Liverpool Echo.

However, Klopp wishes to see the defender prove his fitness and professionalism elsewhere before integrating him back into the first-team squad.

If Sakho does not agree to a temporary move, he faces at least several months on the sidelines at Anfield.

Sakho, who has not played for Liverpool since last April, has endured a torrid four months off-the-pitch.

The 26-year-old defender was provisionally suspended at the end of last season in an anti-doping probe, causing him to miss the club’s Europa League final defeat to Sevilla.

The ban also led to him being omitted from Didier Deschamps’ France squad for this summer’s European Championships.

Sakho was cleared in July after his legal team successfully argued that the substance he was alleged to have taken was not prohibited.

Transfer news 30-08

In the weeks after the case was dropped, however, Sakho was sent home from Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States by manager Jurgen Klopp after displaying a lack of professionalism.

Sakho arrived late for the squad’s airport departure, missed a physiotherapy session and then turned up late for a team meal.

After sending Sakho home from the tour last month, Klopp said: "It is how I said, we have some rules and we have to respect them.

"If somebody doesn’t respect it, or somebody gives me the feeling he is not respecting it, then I have to react, that’s all.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in