Why West Brom should take the chance to sign Mamadou Sakho
According to The Athletic (h/t Birmingham Live), West Brom have been linked with a move for Mamadou Sakho of Crystal Palace. It is being said that Sam Allardyce is interested in bringing the former Liverpool defender to the Hawthorns, just like how he brought him to Palace during his spell in charge there.
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A youth product of PSG, Sakho first arrived at Crystal Palace on loan from rivals Liverpool, making 8 league appearances that season before being ruled out for the season due to a ligament injury. Nevertheless, Palace signed him permanently the following summer for a sum of around £25million.
Since then, Sakho has played a total of 74 matches for the Eagles across all competitions. However, the French defender has failed to establish himself as a regular in the side all these years, majorly due to the various injuries he has sustained in the past couple of years.
A first-choice centre-back when fit, Sakho played the most in 2018-19. He made 27 appearances in the Premier League that term. Unfortunately, he was once again hit by another injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. Sakho featured 5 times this season before struggling with a calf problem.
West Brom should go for Sakho
Mamadou Sakho is a rather curious case. At his best, he can be one of the most reliable defenders in a team but if it drops a bit, he can become the biggest liability. There was always quality in Sakho but injuries have hampered his progress. The 30-year-old wasn’t a bad defender by any means during his spell at Liverpool.
West Brom could use a Premier League experienced defender at this stage of the season. They have the worst defensive record in the league this season, conceding 39 goals in 17 games.
It is clear that the current defensive stocks, consisting of Kyle Bartley, Branislav Ivanovic and Cedric Kipre are in need of reinforcements. Adding Sakho could go a long way in easing those defensive issues for the Baggies.
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Injuries aside, Sakho is a no-nonsense defender who is not afraid to get in the face of the opposition forwards. Allardyce already has the experience of managing the defender during his Crystal Palace days and that could help him settle down at West Brom.
