Liverpool Faces Setback in Ismaïla Sarr Transfer Pursuit

Liverpool’s search for a successor to Mohamed Salah has hit another wall, with Crystal Palace standing firm over Ismaïla Sarr.

The Anfield club made an approach for the 28-year-old winger in the final stretch of the transfer window, testing Palace’s resolve over one of their key men. Reports from Fabrizio Romano suggested Liverpool went as far as tabling a €58.4 million bid, though the Athletic countered that no formal offer was lodged. What is clear is that Liverpool asked the question — and received a blunt answer: Sarr is not for sale.

Palace’s stance is hardly surprising. Sarr has grown into a cornerstone of Andoni Iraola’s side, racking up 116 Premier League appearances and spearheading their stunning Europa Conference League triumph last season. He hit 21 goals across that campaign, form that inevitably dragged him into the orbit of Europe’s elite.

Liverpool are not the first to be turned away. Galatasaray had already seen two bids rejected earlier in the summer, and the Turkish club are now expected to walk away rather than push Palace any higher. The message from Selhurst Park has been consistent: Sarr stays.

For Liverpool, the setback is another twist in what has become a fraught pursuit of a right-sided forward. They had initially homed in on Yankuba Minteh, only to back away when Brighton’s valuation soared. The Seagulls were said to be looking for around €90 million, a figure that forced Liverpool to reassess and pivot toward Sarr.

That switch has brought no more joy. The club have also held extensive discussions over PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye as they scan the market for someone capable of easing, or one day assuming, Salah’s burden on the right flank. Each move underlines just how complex this summer rebuild has become.

Liverpool are working on multiple fronts. Talks are ongoing for Bradley Barcola from PSG, a France international who prefers to operate from the left. His profile fits a broader reshaping of the forward line, but it does little to solve the immediate right-wing conundrum.

Time is shrinking, options are narrowing, and Palace have made their position on Sarr crystal clear. The question now is not who Liverpool like, but who they can actually prise away before the window slams shut.