Liverpool have rejected a loan offer from Serie A side AS Roma for defender Mamadou Sakho, according to Chris Bascome of the Telegraph.
The Frenchman was left out of the 18-man squad for the Reds’ opening day triumph at Stoke City last Sunday, as Dejan Lovren was preferred from the start and Kolo Toure occupied the bench.
Sakho joined Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain for £18m in 2013, but has failed to hold down a regular place in the starting line-up since – largely because of injuries.
The 25-year-old was restricted to 19 appearances in all competitions during his first term on Merseyside.
He improved on that figure last season as he turned out 27 times for the Reds, although only 16 of those outings were in the Premier League.
In his report, Bascombe claims that the Reds are not looking to offload the left-sided centre-back, and only a hefty bid and the possibility of signing somebody to replace him would change their minds.
With the European Championships taking place next summer in Sakho’s home nation, he will seek regular playing time in order to force his way into France boss Didier Deschamps’ plans.
As Lovren impressed at Stoke on Sunday and played alongside Martin Skrtel for most of pre-season, a move away may be the best way for Sakho to gain the first-team football he desires.
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