Sakho heading back to Crystal Palace in reported £26M deal

Crystal Palace finally reached an agreement to sign Liverpool outcast Mamadou Sakho on a permanent basis Thursday, announcing the deal three hours after the official closure of the transfer window.

The Eagles paid £26 million to bring the Frenchman back to Selhurst Park after last season's loan, according to the BBC's David Ornstein.

Liverpool had insisted for months that nothing less than a £30-million fee would suffice for Sakho, but the Anfield outfit apparently struck a compromise with Palace in the waning hours of the summer transfer window.

Sakho spent the second half of last season on loan with the Eagles, and until he suffered a knee injury, his time in Croydon was a positive experience.

His performances proved to be both a blessing and a curse for Palace. Although he helped the club avoid relegation, Liverpool subsequently upped the price for the 27-year-old. Palace haggled to lower the Reds' demands, and after failing with three separate bids for the Frenchman, club chairman Steve Parish succeeded at the last minute.

Sakho's experience and leadership will give Palace a necessary boost after the club's horrendous start to the Premier League season. With three losses from three matches and zero goals scored, Frank De Boer's side has already plunged into crisis.