Transfer Centre

Mamadou Sakho hints at Paris Saint-Germain exit

By Subhankar Mondal, Reporter | 22 March 2013

Mamadou Sakho says that he will leave Paris Saint-Germain if he believes that his place in the France national team is under threat.

Paris Saint-Germain defender Mamadou Sakho has revealed that he could leave the French outfit at the end of the season.

The 23-year-old, who rose through the club's ranks, has fallen down the pecking order behind fellow centre-backs Thiago Silva and Alex at the Ligue 1 leaders.

"Next season will be important with the World Cup," Sakho told L'Equipe. "It's been tricky for me for a year-and-a-half in Paris. I'm 23, and to continue improving, I need to play. My rise has been meteoric, and when I started out at the club, my coaches had faith in me, as did the national team boss, Laurent Blanc.

"But a change in the staff at PSG stopped me dead, and I've been pushed back down the order. Of course, PSG are my club, of course I feel at home there, just as if I were at my mum's. But if there comes a time when I have to leave to flourish, especially if I'm pushed towards the exit, it's clear that I have to think of my career.

"Each coach has his soldiers. In the mind of the PSG coach (Carlo Ancelotti), I know I'm third-choice. I've finally accepted it, even if I don't really understand it as I've never had an explanation, face-to-face, which also disappoints me. You know, it's just like for the players. Words without actions aren't much use."

Sakho has featured in 20 Ligue 1 matches for PSG so far this season.