Mamadou Sakho

[Pablo]

Where's the photo of him leaning on an imaginary shelf?! Won't be official til we see that.

We had to make do with an actual shelf this time

[SB]

Mr Sakho indeed.

Not many people will call him anything but that.

Damn straight. I always refer to a beast like him as a Mr for fear of upsetting said person & having my head ripped from my not so huge frame.

[Fivex]

[SB]

Where's the picture of him being Zaffed?

Or did he Zaff Zaff?

[Fivex]

We had to make do with an actual shelf this time

Looks good in the box anyway.

[SB]

Looks good in the box anyway.

Nigey will be asking if he's a box to box player?

[Fivex]

He'd love to see Sakho in La Box.

[dom9]

Pleased with this one, great young player that is only going to get better.

Cliche alert.

[Shaggy]

'We've got a strong group for the future'

2nd Sep 2013 - Latest News

Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre today spoke of his delight after two new centre-backs arrived at Anfield in the form of Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori.

Ayre insists Sakho is an important marquee signing for the club - and a character who will bring a huge amount of experience to the heart of the Reds' defence.

Meanwhile, Ilori can be both a key player for the future and a useful addition to Brendan Rodgers' current playing squad.

The former completed a long-term switch from Paris Saint-Germain on Monday - and Ayre insisted the club are delighted at having secured the services of the sought-after 23-year-old.

"Sakho is a top, top centre-half and that adds to the great centre-back pairings that we have already and it will give that depth," said Ayre.

"He's an important marquee signing for us. It was a difficult one to do and it was a difficult one for us to get, but I'm very pleased that we've been able to attract him to the football club.

"One of the things that Brendan said was that he wanted to add real depth and strength and Sakho is a Champions League player of great pedigree and experience.

"I think it's difficult to imagine anyone filling Jamie Carragher's shoes, but what the arrival will do is bring huge strength and experience to the squad. I think importantly, when you see him on the pitch, you see that he's a leader and he's very strong.

"He's very much a character and I think that's something that Brendan made clear in his selection and what he was looking for. As well as bringing in youth, he wanted to bring in experience and talent.

"The manager wanted to bring leaders and people who could dig in when needed. I think when our fans get to see Sakho in action, they'll see he's definitely got all of those characteristics."

The Frenchman's arrival further bolsters the Reds' defensive ranks after the earlier addition of Kolo Toure at the start of the summer.

After announcing that youngster Ilori will now also join the squad, Ayre is confident Rodgers has a fine blend of ability and experience at his disposal.

He continued: "We've got a group of centre-halves who are young and experienced. We've got a lot of depth and it's not just a great group of centre-halves, it's a good group for the future. That's what we've been trying to do in all areas.

"Some of it will take a bit of time, but there's been great investment in the squad and it's a mixture of bringing in great experience, which costs a lot of money, but also bringing in good, young raw talent that we can develop."

Ilori made his switch from Sporting Lisbon official on Monday after arriving at Melwood to sign a long-term contract with the Reds.

"He's a young player, who has some experience, but he'll obviously need more," said Ayre.

"But he adds to that group of central defenders and he gives us something for the future as well as being someone who is able to contribute now.

"I know that Brendan and the team are looking forward to working hard with Tiago and getting him up to a high level. He's another great coup for Liverpool, to bring in great, young talent, as we have in other areas of the team.

"I remember when I was a kid watching this club, it was all about bringing in young, relatively unknown talent and developing it into world-class talent.

"As long as we can continue to do that, I think we'll be putting ourselves into good shape."

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/144060-we-ve-got-a-strong-group-for-the-future

[spider-neil]

You could argue that Sakho is our marquee signing of the summer.

[Tee]

You could argue that Sakho is our marquee signing of the summer.

He is. No arguments about it tbh.

[Shaggy]

'My aim is Champions League football'
2nd Sep 2013 - Latest News

Liverpool's new signing Mamadou Sakho has spoken of his desire to play in the Champions League for the Reds – and his determination to help write a new, successful chapter in the club's history.

The centre-back signed a long-term contract with the club on Monday - and afterwards he sat down for an exclusive interview which LFCTV Online subscribers can watch by clicking play below. If you're not a subscriber, join now from £2.99.

Sakho watched the Reds in Europe from afar growing up in Paris, and their famous triumph of 2005 in Istanbul is an event that will live long in his memory.

"My aim while I am here is to play in the Champions League with Liverpool," he told Liverpoolfc.com. "I remember their teams when they were in the competition when I was younger.

"The Champions League is a tournament that all the great clubs in Europe participate in and that's where we need to get to.

"With the team we have, and the means put at the disposal of the players, the technical support and the whole club and its supporters are in a good position to get there. This is our objective.

"With regards to the history of Liverpool, the thing that struck me most was the victory in the Champions League final when I was very young. I don't remember how old I was but I was very young and I remember this fantastic event, which always impressed me.

"I hope to create a new piece of history with our supporters at Anfield."

Sakho's arrival at Anfield adds to the competition for places at the heart of the Liverpool defence.

And while the 23-year-old already has bags of experience that belie his tender years - he's not fazed by competing with older, more established centre-backs for a place in Brendan Rodgers' side.

"In a large club, having competition is something you expect," said Sakho. "To get the best out of any player, you need to have competition.

"Competition doesn't give me any worries. Competition makes the team grow and makes the club grow because that's the objective and the goal of everyone here.

"I've been at Melwood for a day and it's very good. The training areas are impressive and everything is in place for the players to keep in top condition.

"Everything is adapted for professional sports-people and it really gives a good image of a club like Liverpool."

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/144055-my-aim-is-champions-league-football

[Darkon]

Welcome to the guy with the many hairstyles - havn't had that proper since Cisse

Really have big expectations for this guy once he settles. Could be a monster for us for years to come, and always been impressed with him when watching the French league.

[johnly]

Really pleased with this signing and our business in general this summer. Sakho will be a beast. He's a quality player who I can't believe fell so far down the pecking order in France when he clearly has the quality.

The future (and present) is bright, the future is Mersey Red

[Shaggy]

Andrew Beasley @BassTunedToRed
Last season, Sakho won 76.4% of his 110 aerial duels. No player in 2012/13 PL matched that. Very strong in the air #LFC