Ismaila Sarr is expected to stay at Crystal Palace, after missing out on a dream move to Liverpool. The Senegal international has not featured for Palace so far this season, sitting out defeats to Everton and Manchester City with a groin injury.
Injury and Transfer Speculation
That issue is also set to sideline the forward against Fulham at the weekend, though speculation regarding the 28-year-old’s future has not gone away after pushing for an exit amid interest from Liverpool and Galatasaray.
While a move to Anfield cannot happen until January at the earliest, the transfer window in Turkey does not shut until Friday but the arrival of Rafael Leao appears to have ended any hope of a move to Galatasaray for Sarr.
Manager Pierre Sage Addresses the Saga
Speaking in the pre-Fulham press conference on Thursday, Palace boss Pierre Sage addressed the transfer saga directly.
“Like every bad situation, time does the job and we need time for that,” Sage told reporters. “He needs time too. First of all he needs to recover because he was and is injured.
“He is our player and we are happy with that. He has to digest for sure because it's a dream for a lot of players to play with this kind of club [Liverpool]. He had a good opportunity but in the end it didn't work. If he wants to continue, you have to have a good season with us as he did last year. We know he needs time.”
Response to Agent's Comments
Sage also responded to comments made by Sarr’s agent, Diomansy Kamara, regarding a lack of respect for African footballers following a failed Deadline Day move for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara.
“I don’t really agree with this position I just want to say that the club and the people here are respectful and we want the best for our club and players,” Sage added.
