Liverpool Targets Ismaila Sarr as Transfer Deadline Approaches
Liverpool have turned their attention to Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr as the clock ticks down on the transfer window, with an opening bid of around £50 million reportedly on the table.
Andoni Iraola has made a new wide forward a priority signing after Mohamed Salah’s departure at the end of last season. Victor Munoz has already arrived from Osasuna, but Liverpool want another winger capable of walking straight into the front line. Sarr is now at the top of that list.
From Minteh to Sarr
For most of the month, Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh looked like Liverpool’s main target. Two bids went in, one believed to be in the region of £60m. Two bids came back rejected. Talks then stalled over the weekend, the move losing momentum just as Liverpool needed clarity.
So the focus shifted.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have now cooled their interest in Minteh and moved firmly onto Sarr. Discussions between the clubs are said to be underway, with Liverpool’s first proposal lodged and the player already giving the move his approval. He wants Anfield. He wants the step up.
Palace, though, are under no obligation to make it easy.
Palace dig in
Sarr is under contract at Selhurst Park until 2029, a long deal that puts Crystal Palace in a position of strength. They have already knocked back two offers from Galatasaray earlier in the summer and view the winger as a key figure in their attack.
The question is how long they can hold that line.
Sarr is understood to be eager to leave before the window shuts next week. Last season he hit nine league goals in 28 appearances, including one against Liverpool in Palace’s early-season win over the Reds. Performances like that helped push his profile higher and, inevitably, invited interest from bigger clubs.
His situation has become more delicate. He missed Palace’s opening-weekend defeat to Everton, officially due to a minor injury, and was left out of the squad entirely.
New manager Pierre Sage was firm afterwards when asked about Sarr’s future.
“The doctor, the player and I took the decision before our training session yesterday to let him have treatment,” Sage said. “We don’t want him to leave, he is under contract with us for three years and he will be with us on Monday. That’s the most important information for me and for you.”
The message from the dugout is clear: Palace want to keep him. The mood of the player, less so.
A late-window test of resolve
Liverpool’s offer now puts Palace’s resolve under direct strain. They are not under financial pressure to sell, but they risk carrying an unsettled player into the heart of the season. For a club that relies heavily on cohesion and work rate, that is a dangerous gamble.
For Liverpool, this is about more than numbers on a spreadsheet. It is about replacing Salah’s threat from the right, about giving Iraola a winger who can run, press and score in big games. Sarr has already shown he can hurt them. Now they want him doing that in red, not blue and red.
The bid is in. The player is keen. Palace are holding their ground.
With the deadline looming, someone will have to blink.
