Crystal Palace legend Eddie McGoldrick feels the Eagles simply must pull out all the stops to sign Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool on a permanent basis, dubbing the defender a colossus.
Palace snapped Sakho up from Liverpool in the winter transfer window, on loan until the end of the season, but the deal did not contain a purchase clause for the Selhurst Park club to activate.
Sam Allardyce declared his intention to try to keep Sakho before he resigned and McGoldrick feels certain the club should continue to try to keep the France international.
McGoldrick believes Sakho struck up a good relationship with the Palace fans and stressed he was immense at the back in the club's successful battle against relegation from the Premier League.
"Personally, I think we need four or five in – definitely a centre-half – definitely need Sakho", the Eagles legend told the Croydon Advertiser.
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"Pay the money if you're prepared to pay that.
"He was a colossus at the back for us, pay whatever it takes to get him.
"He built up a great affinity with the supporters, as did Luka Milivojevic.
"When Sakho dropped out of the team with injury, you could tell he was a big miss", McGoldrick added.
Sakho is keen to play regular first team football next season ahead of the 2018 World Cup, where he hopes to be involved for France.
The defender slipped out of favour under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and it is unclear whether the German has had a rethink on the former Paris Saint-Germain star.
