Mamadou Sakho’s move to Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain at the tender age of 23, costing $23 million (£18 million) in September 2013, was a leap from his comfort zone away from a club where he was a staple figure and even donned the captain’s armband.
With PSG, under the new era of ownership by Qatar Sports Investment since 2011, Sakho witnessed the dawn of an era teeming with domestic glory. However, despite the French side winning 10 Ligue 1 titles and 24 domestic cups, the defender chose to move to Anfield over staying put.
Sakho’s tenure at PSG saw him emerge as a leader while PSG entrenched themselves as the sovereigns of France, especially spotlighted in the current Champions League season where it has ousted Liverpool in the round-of-16 stage. Nonetheless, Sakho walked away from the glittery potential at PSG for a future with the Reds and it wasn’t without alternative alluring prospects like Barcelona and Bayern Munich vying for his signature.
“When I joined Liverpool, yes, of course it was my choice. I had different offers at that time,” Sakho told the Liverpool ECHO. “I had Barcelona, I had Arsenal, I had Bayern Munich… But yeah, I really wanted to play for Liverpool because I knew the story. I knew the stadium was unbelievable.”
And indeed, wisdom passed down from Anelka resonated deeply as he relayed: “And I remember he told me this when I was young. He said, ‘if you have a chance to play and move to the UK, Liverpool is one of the best.
“So yeah, it was a natural choice for me because I was supporting Liverpool in the UK when I was young. Of course (it was difficult to leave PSG), but, you know, it’s a part of life. The road for me, it’s already right. So I think it was my destiny.
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“Paris was my club but I did what I had to do with Paris. And it was something in my road. It was Liverpool and I did what they have to do also with Liverpool. I really enjoyed my time there.”
During Sakho’s first season with Liverpool, PSG clinched Ligue 1, Coupe de la Lige and Trophee des Champions titles, and made it to the Champions League quarter-finals. They signed Edinson Cavani, Marquinhos, Yohan Cabaye and Lucas Digne, following the arrivals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, David Beckham, Marco Verratti, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Lucas Moura and Gregory van der Wiel.
Sakho himself nearly tasted Premier League glory with the Reds. If not for a Steven Gerrard slip against Chelsea, who knows what might have been in 2013/14.
“Of course we were disappointed,” he said. “I think we gave everything, and yeah, it was really hard for us to not win this title. But it’s part of football sometimes. Yeah, this type of thing (Gerrard’s slip) can happen. But with the legend Steven Gerrard, what he did for us first. When we came to the club, he was really warm. He is a really top man.
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“And what he did for the club, of course I think we can accept one mistake. Ten mistakes, even 100 mistakes from him, you know, because I think when you hear Liverpool, always Steven Gerrard is following. With Liverpool, you think straight away Steven Gerrard.
“I was sad (when I found out he was leaving in 2015). I think he was playing in his garden (at Anfield), and I think all the city was sad but also proud. Proud of everything he achieved with the club, everything he did and I hope one day he will come back. And I’m sure he will come back.”
The arrival of Jurgen Klopp marked a turning point, with Sakho acknowledging that the German changed the mentality at Anfield. “The season after (2013/14) was more difficult for us,” he said. “But we give our best. And it was a new team, everything was new. So we needed to build up a new ambience in the squad and everything.”
But in the end, it was the German who sold Sakho. He was sent home from Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States in 2016, with it emerging he had been late for the club’s flight, a team meal and a treatment session as he recovered from injury. Klopp later explained he felt the center-back had shown a lack of “respect.”
