Liverpool have turned their attention to Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr after walking away from a deal for Yankuba Minteh at Brighton. The Reds have made attacking reinforcements their priority this summer following the end-of-season departure of Mohamed Salah and the ruptured Achilles for Hugo Ekitike, which was suffered in April.
Ongoing talks and offers
After signing Victor Munoz, when his £34.5m release clause was triggered at Osasuna, Liverpool have continued to press ahead with further additions in wide areas and remain in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over Bradley Barcola, with the Ligue champions looking for around £145m.
In addition to Barcola, Liverpool made an offer for Brighton's Minteh last week at £50m before returning with an improved offer of £60m on Friday. It's thought the Seagulls are holding out for closer to £80m for the Gambia international, who is sidelined with an injury until October at the earliest.
Sarr's history with Liverpool
Liverpool have now pivoted to Senegal international Sarr, who has been with Palace since joining from Marseille in 2024. Liverpool's admiration of Sarr is long standing, having placed him on a three-man shortlist in the summer of 2020 when he was a Watford player alongside Canada forward Jonathan David and Diogo Jota, who eventually joined from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a £45m deal.
It's been reported that any deal would be around the £50m mark for the 28-year-old Sarr, but the ECHO understands the Reds' recruitment team are merely continuing to assess the market as they search for the right blend of wingers to arrive before the September 1 deadline.
Complications and other targets
Galatasaray had a £35m offer for Sarr rejected earlier this month and his Palace team-mate Jean-Philippe Mateta is also wanted by Aston Villa, which may complicate matters for the Reds.
A deal for Minteh could yet be resurrected if Brighton lower their demands for the 22-year-old Minteh and while talks are ongoing over Barcola, the future of Cody Gakpo remains uncertain. Netherlands forward Gakpo is wanted by both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City but Liverpool are yet to hold any direct talks with either over the Dutchman.
The club have also made checks on Paris Saint-Germain's Ibrahim Mbaye and have retained an interest in Said El Mala, of FC Koln and Matias Pardo-Fernandez, who has been a target for Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
Coach's stance on signings
New head coach Andoni Iraola has made little secret of his determination to bolster the ranks before the 11pm deadline next Tuesday, reiterating his belief that the squad is "quite thin" in a chat with Reds legend Jamie Carragher.
Iraola, who has been open about the need for wingers all summer, said: "We will definitely sign some players. 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."
Only Ollie Watkins and Erling Haaland have scored more goals against Liverpool across all competitions than Sarr's seven since the turn of the decade.
