Liverpool is scrambling for attacking talent right now, exploring a move for Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr after Brighton shot down two massive bids for Yankuba Minteh. Those offers were for £50m and £60m, folks, and both got rejected cold by Brighton for the 22-year-old Minteh.
The Sarr Snag: Contract, Injury, and Denials
Now, Liverpool has shifted focus to Sarr, who absolutely tore it up last season with 21 goals for Palace. He’s a right-sided winger, just like Minteh, and he’s got that Premier League experience you want. He’s also got 81 caps for Senegal and 23 goals for his country. But here’s the kicker: Palace is apparently not open to selling Sarr this summer. To make things even more complicated, Galatasaray was sniffing around him just last week. Sources are saying Liverpool has actually made a bid, but both the Reds and Crystal Palace are straight up denying that’s the case. Palace manager Pierre Sage made it clear he expects Sarr to stay, saying, “For the moment, yes, because when you have three years on the contract it is not easy to leave.” Three years, man, that’s a tough hurdle. Sage was even questioned about an approach from Liverpool and added, “I understand that for everybody to have this kind of contact is difficult, because you hesitate a lot. But for the moment, he is with us. He is under contract.” He then said, “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. We just want him on the pitch as quickly as possible.”
Deadline Looming: Two Wingers Needed, One Contract Dispute
And if Sarr wasn’t enough drama, Liverpool is still talking with Paris St-Germain to try and land France winger Bradley Barcola. They are seriously assessing all their options before Tuesday’s transfer deadline. The club’s mission is clear: they want to make two signings for wide attackers before the window slams shut. Meanwhile, Sarr’s teammate, Jean-Philippe Mateta, is also in a weird spot. Sage wants him to stay too. Mateta is arguing that the final year of his Palace contract, which was an extension option activated by the club, isn’t legally binding. Fifa already said it’s out of their jurisdiction, and a Premier League independent tribunal has heard the case. Even with all that, Mateta started the Eagles’ Premier League opener at Everton. Sage insists Mateta “has the behaviour of someone who is happy to be here, who wants to be here and is prepared to be here all season.”
Liverpool is up against the clock with Tuesday’s deadline rapidly approaching, and they still need two wide attackers. With bids being rejected and key targets like Sarr tied down with long contracts and even injured, it’s going to be a wild few days. They need to get these deals done, and fast, or face going into the next stretch without the reinforcements they clearly want.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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