Football
ESPN staff 7y

Liverpool's Mamadou Sakho 'much too expensive' - Palace boss Frank de Boer

Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer says Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho is "much too expensive."

Sakho, 27, spent the second half of last season on loan at Palace and was shortlisted for the Fans' Player of the Season award after just eight appearances, but De Boer said negotiations over a permanent return have brought little progress.

"Everybody knows he had a major impact last season and, when he's available for us, I think that is a quality injection for the club," he told reporters. "It is not like this now because he is much too expensive for the club."

Sources told ESPN FC in January that Liverpool were seeking £20 million for Sakho, but both The Guardian and Liverpool Echo report that the price tag is now £30m for the France centre-back, who has been frozen out under Jurgen Klopp. 

De Boer has brought in Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah on loan this summer, while Jairo Riedewald has joined on a permanent deal from Ajax.

De Boer said: "I have already got three players in in Ruben, Jairo and Timothy, and we are still looking. If we think that there is the chance to inject quality into the squad we won't hesitate, but it has to be the right one and we will not panic buy." 

Palace have failed to register a point under De Boer, losing 3-0 to Huddersfield and 1-0 to Liverpool in their two Premier League games to date.

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