Klopp refuses to expand on Sakho’s Liverpool future

Matt Stead

Jurgen Klopp gave short shrift to further questions on Mamadou Sakho’s future when asked on Monday.

Sakho has not featured for the Liverpool first team since the Merseyside derby victory over Everton on April 20, where he scored in a 4-0 victory.

He was initially sidelined as part of an investigation into results from a regulation drugs test, where he was found to have taken alleged fat-burning substances.

The defender was ruled out for the rest of the season as a result, and did not feature for France at Euro 2016.

He was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing, but was sent home from the club’s pre-season tour of America due to questions over his attitude.

Sakho was thereby informed that he would have to leave the club in order to play first-team football this season, as he was not part of Klopp’s plans.

Liverpool face Tottenham in the EFL Cup fourth round on Tuesday, and with fringe squad players such as Danny Ings expected to play, some wondered whether Sakho could be afforded an opportunity to stake his claim.

However, when asked by a French reporter on the 26-year-old’s future on Monday, Klopp was non-committal.

“I hope you didn’t make the long journey here for this question because the answer is I’ve said everything about this already,” he said. “You could have read it in English newspapers.

“I’ve said everything about this in my talk with Mama. There is nothing else to say about it.

“Maybe it’s my English, you can try again but the answer is the same. There is nothing to say.”