Liverpool have submitted a £50million bid for Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr after ending their pursuit of Brighton's Yankuba Minteh. The Reds made two offers for the Gambia international, both of which fell short of Brighton's £70m valuation.
Switch of targets
With five days remaining until the summer transfer window closes, Liverpool have turned their attention to Sarr. The 28-year-old is reportedly keen on a move to Anfield, where manager Andoni Iraola is eager to add a winger before Monday's 11pm deadline.
Liverpool remain in discussions with Paris Saint-Germain over Bradley Barcola, who is valued at £145m, but their interest in Sarr is understood to be a separate matter. Reports from Italy indicate the Reds have made a £50m offer for the former Marseille player.
Background and need
Sarr joined Crystal Palace two years ago for £12.5m on a five-year contract. Liverpool's interest dates back to 2020, when they considered signing him from Watford before ultimately choosing Diogo Jota.
Following Jota's tragic death and the departures of Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah over the past 13 months, Liverpool are seeking proven wide forwards. Victor Munoz was signed for £34m in July, but Iraola wants more depth, especially with Tottenham and Manchester City showing interest in Cody Gakpo.
Manager's comments
Iraola told Sky Sports: "Some deals you have to wait until the end. But the end is the important picture, the one we will have on September 1, because it is true that we are still quite thin."
Last week, he said in a press conference: "As a manager, it's an easy one for me. I wanted the players from the first day on July 13, I wanted everyone here, all the positions doubled with top-level players. But you understand how the competition works and the market is open when you start the competition, we have to adapt as coaches to this situation. I hate these two weeks or 10 days that we have because there is a lot of uncertainty but not just in Liverpool but everywhere. But we have to adapt and not spend too much time thinking about these things."
Sarr's record
Sarr, who represented Senegal at the World Cup, has been a frequent scorer against Liverpool since joining the Premier League from Rennes in 2019. Only Ollie Watkins and Erling Haaland, both with eight goals, have scored more against the Reds in all competitions during that period than Sarr's seven.
