Following speculation around his Liverpool future, French centre-back Mamadou Sakho has reportedly been offered a new long-term contract.
Mamadou Sakho, Liverpool’s 25-year-old centre-back, has been offered a new long-term deal to stay with the club.
That is according to reports from Andy Hunter of the Guardian.
Hunter writes that “Liverpool have offered Mamadou Sakho a new long-term contract despite the France international being omitted from Brendan Rodgers’ plans for the first two games of the Premier League season.”
Sakho missed the first game of the season, away to Stoke City, due to having missed three days of training following the birth of his child.
His absence for Liverpool’s first home game, a 1-0 win over AFC Bournemouth, drew speculation that a move could be on the cards this summer.
Both AS Roma and Bayer Leverkusen are said to have had loan offers for the former Paris Saint-Germain defender rejected by the Reds already this summer.
Hunter continues: “Despite interest in the £18m defender and his current predicament at Anfield, Liverpool have informed potential suitors they have no plans to sell Sakho this summer and have underlined their confidence in the former PSG captain by offering him an extended contract.
“It is believed the new deal would increase his wage from around £75,000 a week to nearer £100,000 a week.
“Negotiations are only at a preliminary stage, however, and Sakho is likely to see whether his first-team prospects improve before responding.”
With the 2016 European Championships in France fast approaching, Sakho will want to secure first-team football with a view to a regular role at the tournament for Les Bleus.
Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye recently intimated that encouragement from France manager Didier Deschamps prompted his summer move from Paris to Selhurst Park.
Currently behind Dejan Lovren as Rodgers’ second-choice left-sided centre-back, Sakho faces a fight to regain his first-team position at Anfield.
However, representing Liverpool’s strongest centre-back, this should be no issue if given the opportunity.
A long-term, £100,000-a-week contract suggests that Rodgers has faith that the 25-year-old can prevail.
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