RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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‘Decision has been made’ – Insider shares Ismaila Sarr transfer claim after first Liverpool bid
Liverpool could be left frustrated in their pursuit of Ismaila Sarr in the final few days of the summer transfer window.
On Wednesday, the Reds had an opening offer of £50m for the winger turned down by Crystal Palace according to some reports , with the Daily Mail claiming that the Eagles aren’t prepared to sell unless they bring in a replacement first.
The Merseysiders appear to be on the verge of completing the long-awaited transfer of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, but their efforts to add the Senegal international as well could ultimately prove futile.
Palace unlikely to sanction Sarr exit
Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown has claimed that Palace deem Sarr too important a player to let go, especially with the transfer window closing on Tuesday and precious little time to bring in a replacement winger.
He told Football Insider : “Sarr has been crucial for Crystal Palace over the last couple of seasons. He scored tons of goals last season and was a big part in why they were successful again, so from Palace’s point of view, he is key to their plans for the future.
“We’ve said the same thing about Crystal Palace since they won the FA Cup. They have to be doing everything in their power to keep their best players at the club. That’s often easier said than done, but they already sold [Maxence] Lacroix earlier this summer, and they won’t want to let another one go.
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
“If they are going to sell those players, the question becomes about where they can go to replace them, and in this case that would be very difficult for them to do.
“It seems the decision has been made that Sarr will not be allowed to leave. They hope to keep hold of him because he’s got such a big role to play in that side.”
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Sarr likely to remain at Palace, but all is not lost for Liverpool
The Palace winger is a player we wouldn’t say no to having at Liverpool, given that he’d provide a much-needed option on the right flank, is proven at Premier League level and has an annoyingly prolific record against the Reds ( seven goals in 10 games ).
It seems that Richard Hughes’ pursuit of attacking reinforcements won’t end with the imminent capture of Barcola, although there’s an argument to be made that other parts of the squad (such as defensive midfield) would then be in greater need of addressing before Tuesday night.
If LFC sense that nothing they could offer would change the Eagles’ mind on Sarr, they might deduce that he ultimately isn’t worth chasing and pivot their attention to alternative targets.
However, if prospective incomings at Selhurst Park would move the needle towards Palace potentially accepting bids for the 28-year-old, the door might just open up for Liverpool to pounce then.
As the Marc Guehi soap opera illustrated last year, there’s still time enough in the window for a dramatic plot twist or two to develop before the deadline arrives!
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