Cape Town - Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce has conceded that it will be difficult for the club to hold on to influential defender Mamadou Sakho.
The 27-year-old joined the Eagles on a loan move from Liverpool in January, and has since made a massive impact for Allardyce's charges.
With Sakho in the team, Palace have won five out of six games, also keeping four clean sheets during that run. However, Allardyce knows it will be tough to keep him at the end of the season.
“It will probably be very difficult (to keep him)," said Allardyce.
“It will be down to the club and Mamadou to discuss at the end of the season.
“It was such a rush job [to sign him], I’m not sure there were clauses to make anything permanent.
“His leadership, as well as his ability, has been a massive plus for me. I didn’t know he had such great leadership qualities – on the training pitch and the pitch. Those types are rarer than before."