Expected to leave Liverpool long before he did in the summer transfer window, Mamadou Sakho only got his transfer to Crystal Palace on deadline day, forcing him to miss the beginning of the new season.
Now with the Eagles under Roy Hodgson, the France international is expected to help shore up a rather leaky defence in a team struggling for form since the new campaign began.
While the Reds manage to make a profit on a player who hasn’t played for them for over a year, questions have to be asked about Jürgen Klopp’s decision to refuse to field one of his better defenders, regardless of personal incidents, when they are clear problems in that area of his squad.
Dejan Lovren has already come under a fair bit of criticism for his performances, and for former Chelsea and Tottenham defender William Gallas, Mamadou Sakho was the man who could have solved some of the issues.
“It’s a shame because I feel like Mamad had everything to explode at Liverpool. He was loved by the fans”.
Arriving late a few times, including for a flight for preseason, the France international never made it back into Klopp’s plans last season, and ended up going on loan to Selhurst Park in January, where he once again made a name for himself with his no nonsense defending.
Only time will tell if Liverpool made a mistake letting him go without giving him a second chance, but William Gallas certainly thinks they have.
