Allardyce lining up Sakho deal

SAM ALLARDYCE believes Crystal Palace are only one win away from securing their Premier League status — and he plans to open talks with Mamadou Sakho as soon as safety is sealed.

Palace visit Liverpool today but will have to make do without Sakho, the French defender on loan from Liverpool, who cannot play against his parent club.

It is a blow to his boss, who knows the 27-year-old has been vital to their fight for survival since joining in February. Allardyce said: ‘Does Mama want to stay? Has Mama created a market for himself for other clubs, if not in the Premier League, in Europe, because they have monitored his performances with us? It is a big decision he has to make. If we stay in the Premier League, we will try our best to sign him.’ Palace have 35 points and Allardyce believes 38 is the magic number. ‘Thirty-eight points has been enough for 10 years or more and we have an opportunity to get there and get beyond it,’

he said.