London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hinted he could sell exiled Mamadou Sakho in January after admitting the French defender is no longer in his first-team squad.
Klopp was quizzed about his plans for the January transfer window this week and insisted he had no intention of selling England striker Daniel Sturridge or any other first-team player.
“There is absolutely no thought or idea to sell any player from the first team squad. I don’t think it would make sense,” Klopp said.
But the German indicated that rule does not apply to the out of favour Sakho.
“Now you know, I said it: he is not in these plans for the first team,” Klopp said. “The first-team squad is here (at the training ground).
“Do you really think I would have said Sakho will not be sold in winter? Nothing changed.
“Once again this actual first-team squad is in this dressing room, from this point of view nobody will be sold.”
Sakho, 26, has been training with the club’s under-23 squad since September, when he used social media to dispute Klopp’s comments about his fitness.
Sakho’s Anfield career ran into trouble in April, when he was suspended by UEFA for failing a drugs test, a sanction later dropped by Europe’s governing body.
But an Achilles injury followed and in the pre-season he was sent home from Liverpool’s tour of the United States for disciplinary reasons.
