Liverpool Faces Setback in Ismaïla Sarr Pursuit
Liverpool’s search for a successor to Mohamed Salah has hit another wall, with Crystal Palace shutting the door on an approach for Ismaïla Sarr.
The Reds sounded out Palace over the winger’s availability as the transfer window ticks towards its close, but were told in clear terms that the 28-year-old is not for sale. Reports have differed over how far Liverpool went: Fabrizio Romano stated that a bid of €58.4 million was lodged, while the Athletic reported that no formal offer was actually submitted. What is not in dispute is Liverpool’s interest – and Palace’s stance.
Sarr’s stock has rarely been higher. He has racked up 116 Premier League appearances and played a starring role in Palace’s Europa Conference League triumph, hitting 21 goals in a standout campaign that inevitably drew attention from bigger clubs. Palace, though, are holding their ground.
They are not alone in resisting. Galatasaray have already tested Palace’s resolve twice this summer with bids for Sarr, only to be rejected on both occasions. The Turkish club are now thought unlikely to return with an improved proposal, leaving Liverpool as the latest heavyweight to be turned away.
A restless summer on the right flank
Liverpool’s recruitment team have spent the summer circling a small, expensive pool of right-wingers. Yankuba Minteh was one of the first serious targets, but that trail went cold when Brighton’s demands soared. The Seagulls were said to be seeking around €90 million, a figure that pushed Liverpool away and forced them to reassess.
That pivot has brought Sarr into sharper focus, alongside other names heavily discussed at Anfield. PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye has been under serious consideration, while Liverpool are also in talks to sign Bradley Barcola from the French champions. Barcola, a France international, prefers to operate from the left, underlining how fluid Liverpool’s planning has become as they try to reshape their attack.
The picture is clear even if the deals are not: Liverpool are determined to find a right-sided forward capable of easing, or one day shouldering, the burden Salah has carried for years. For now, though, Sarr stays in south London, Palace stand firm, and Liverpool’s search goes on with the clock relentlessly ticking down.
