Liverpool Pursue Ismaila Sarr as Salah Successor
Liverpool have stepped up their search for a Mohamed Salah successor by lodging an opening bid for Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr, with the player understood to be keen on forcing through a move to Anfield in the final days of the window.
Andoni Iraola has made a new wide forward a priority signing before next week’s deadline. Victor Munoz has already arrived from Osasuna, but Liverpool want another winger capable of walking straight into the front line and easing the void left by Salah’s departure at the end of last season.
From Minteh to Sarr
For much of this month, Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh looked like the preferred option. Liverpool tested the Seagulls’ resolve twice, including a bid in the region of £60 million for the 22-year-old. Brighton stood firm. Talks dragged, then stalled over the weekend, and the trail went cold.
The momentum has shifted. According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have now cooled their interest in Minteh and turned their attention fully to Sarr.
Negotiations are already under way at club level, with Liverpool submitting an offer of around £50 million for the Crystal Palace winger. On the player’s side, there is no hesitation: Sarr is said to have given the green light and is eager to join the Merseyside club.
Palace dig in
That does not mean a deal is close.
Palace have already rejected two bids from Galatasaray for Sarr earlier this summer, underlining how highly they value him. He is a central figure for the Eagles and, crucially, tied to a long-term contract until 2029. There is no financial clock ticking in the background, no forced sale on the horizon.
What there is, though, is a growing sense of unease. Sarr is understood to want out before the window shuts next week, and Palace must now decide whether to cash in at a premium or risk keeping a key player who no longer sees his future at Selhurst Park.
Last season underlined his importance. Sarr scored nine league goals in 28 appearances, including one against Liverpool in Palace’s early-season win that jolted Anfield and hinted at the winger’s capacity to hurt top opposition.
Sage’s stance
On the opening weekend of the new campaign, Sarr was absent from the Palace squad that lost to Everton, officially due to a minor injury. After the defeat, new manager Pierre Sage moved to calm the noise around his star winger.
He explained that “the doctor, the player and I” had agreed before training to let Sarr undergo treatment, stressing that the club do not want him to leave. Sage underlined the contract situation, pointing out that Sarr remains tied to Palace for three more years and insisting the winger would be back with the squad on Monday.
Publicly, the message from Selhurst Park is firm: Sarr stays.
Privately, the situation is more delicate. Liverpool have made their move, the player is keen, and the clock is ticking. The question now is simple: will Palace hold their nerve, or will a £50 million bid from Anfield prove too strong a pull for a winger who already once punished Liverpool and now wants to wear their shirt?
