Former Liverpool ace exiled by Jurgen Klopp set to join new club after seven months as free agent

Former Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho is set to join Georgian club Torpedo Kutaisi. The Frenchman left Anfield in 2017 after being exiled by former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

Sakho, 34, initially left Liverpool on loan in January 2017 before joining Crystal Palace on a permanent deal in the following summer. Palace parted ways with a figure in the region of $30m (€28m/£23m) to take him to Selhurst Park, which saw Liverpool make a tidy profit.

After leaving Palace in 2021, Sakho returned to France with Montpellier on a free transfer. The experienced defender was reportedly involved in an altercation with manager Michel Der Zakarian last year and has been without a club for the last seven months.

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Sakho is now set to open the door to a new chapter in his professional career. According to RMC Sport, the defender will join Georgian club Torpedo Kutaisi on a one-year deal - with the option of extending his stay for an additional year.

Sakho had previously been involved in disciplinary issues during his time at Liverpool. He was sent home from a pre-season tour of the United States with Klopp revealing he had been late for the team's flight, as well as meals and treatment sessions.

The incident would ultimately end his Liverpool career. Sakho was dropped from the senior squad and never played for the first team again at Anfield before his January loan switch to Crystal Palace.

Sakho insisted in 2020 that he had no regrets over his time on Merseyside, saying: "When I left Paris Saint-Germain, I had a number of offers from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Liverpool.

"I choose Liverpool because they were one of the clubs of my dreams with a great history. I had the chance to spend four years there in the Reds’ shirt at Anfield with a fantastic crowd."

Liverpool.com says: Sakho is approaching the twilight years of his football career but he is seeking an opportunity to keep going. His Liverpool career didn't end on the best note after his disciplinary issues but he showed at Palace that he remained a decent defender. The Frenchman will now look to get his career back on track in Georgia in what is a surprising move.