Liverpool's £50m Pursuit of Ismaila Sarr Stalls

Crystal Palace manager Sage has moved to stamp out growing rumours around Ismaila Sarr, insisting the winger is injured rather than attempting to force a move away from Selhurst Park.

Liverpool have approached Palace over a deal for the 28-year-old after their move for Yankuba Minteh fell through, with Galatasaray also circling and Al-Hilal monitoring the situation. Noise around Sarr’s future has spiked since Liverpool lodged a £50 million offer, but Sage is adamant the player is not refusing to train.

“Ismaila Sarr is injured. He is in pain with his groin – that’s why you didn’t see him with us today,” Sage said, as reported by the Liverpool Echo. “He is in individual training because he is really in pain with his groin. But we’ll prepare him, he needs time.”

The timing has inevitably raised eyebrows. Sarr missed Palace’s Premier League opener against Everton and will also be absent for Friday night’s meeting with Manchester City. With the transfer window edging towards its close, suspicion that the forward might be angling for a move has intensified.

Sage pushed back hard on that narrative.

“It’s always difficult for a player when your name is associated with a club like Liverpool,” he admitted. “For the moment, the most important thing is to understand the player is not able to play and is in treatment, and what happens with his potential future is really far from me.”

Sarr still has three years left on his Palace contract, and Sage believes the Senegal international will respect that commitment. Even so, he recognises the strain on a player whose name is being dragged daily through the market rumour mill.

The Palace boss held private talks with Sarr this week to check on his mindset and to steady him amid the swirl of links to Liverpool, Galatasaray and Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

“I understand that for everybody to have this kind of contact is difficult, because you hesitate a lot,” Sage said. “But for the moment, he is with us. He is under contract. He is injured and maybe you can make a link between his injury and the situation. But for me, he is honest and I have no problem with that.”

So Sarr sits in the stands, Liverpool wait, and Palace cling to a winger their manager insists is simply hurt, not plotting an escape. With the clock ticking on the window, the next medical update may say as much about his future as any bid.