Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has criticised Jurgen Klopp for allowing Mamadou Sakho to leave the club.

Sakho joined Crystal Palace in a £26m deal on transfer deadline day, which ended his Anfield nightmare under Klopp.

The former Paris Saint-Germain defender was banished from the first-team after falling out with the German coach last summer, and was loaned to the Eagles for the second half of the 2016/17 campaign.

Liverpool’s backline has already leaked 18 goals this season, with Klopp admitting his side's defensive struggles have been “really hard” for him.

Thompson, who made over 350 appearances for the Reds, said: “Our best defender at the start of this season has been allowed to leave.

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“Mamadou Sakho was our best defender. He was a warrior, a fighter, a battler - all those things and you saw it at Crystal Palace last season.

“He was like that at Liverpool. I know there’s fallouts in football all the time but somewhere along the line you can’t cut off your nose to spite your face.

“He [Klopp] should have made up with the boy, banned him for three or four months and then brought him back in.”