Liverpool Targets Ismaila Sarr as Mohamed Salah Successor
Liverpool have stepped up their search for a Mohamed Salah successor by submitting a £50m proposal to Crystal Palace for Ismaila Sarr, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Senegal winger, long linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, is now firmly on Liverpool’s radar as the club scrambles to reshape its forward line after Salah’s departure to Trabzonspor.
Liverpool’s winger hunt twists again
This has been a messy window for Liverpool out wide. They moved early for Victor Munoz from Osasuna, but that was never going to be the only addition after Salah’s exit.
Yan Diomande was the first big swing. Liverpool made him a top target and even lodged a bid, only to watch the Ivorian steer his way to Real Madrid instead.
Attention then drifted to Bradley Barcola. The Frenchman operates primarily from the left, yet he has become Liverpool’s leading winger target, with the club simultaneously scouring the market for a right-sided option to fill the Salah void.
Yankuba Minteh briefly looked like that answer. Liverpool saw two bids knocked back by Brighton this month, and the price tag has now killed the move. Ben Jacobs reported that Brighton informed Liverpool they want £80m for Minteh, a figure the Anfield hierarchy are not prepared to meet. A previous £60m offer was considered competitive by Liverpool but still rejected.
Jacobs wrote on X that Liverpool are not expected to return with a third bid unless Brighton significantly lower their valuation.
The Minteh pursuit has stalled. So Liverpool have turned again.
Barcola still priority, Minteh “gone cold”
Romano has been clear about the hierarchy of targets. Barcola remains Liverpool’s “first priority” in the wide areas. Talks around Minteh, by contrast, have “gone cold” over the last 24 hours, with Liverpool now “exploring different options for the second winger.”
That second winger slot is where Sarr comes in.
Romano revealed on his social media channels that Liverpool have opened talks with Crystal Palace and sent a proposal worth around £50m for Sarr. The 26-year-old is described as keen on the move, with Liverpool’s interest coming straight off the back of the collapsed Minteh deal.
Crystal Palace, though, are not under pressure to sell. Romano notes they have already rejected two bids from Galatasaray for Sarr.
Sarr pushing for exit as Palace hold firm
The tension around Sarr’s future has been building. Romano reported last week that Sarr had agreed personal terms with Galatasaray and was actively pushing to leave Selhurst Park, even as Palace resisted and no club-to-club agreement was in place.
His situation spilled onto the pitch – or rather, off it – at the weekend.
Sarr was left out of the squad for Palace’s 2-0 defeat to Everton, prompting immediate speculation. Palace head coach Pierre Sage moved to explain the decision, insisting it was driven by fitness rather than transfer manoeuvres.
“It’s normal (the panic from fans) because two days ago, I said he will play,” Sage said. “Yesterday, we made a medical point with the doctor of the club, the player and me.
“We have chosen that he cannot play because for the moment he’s not really 100%. That’s why we didn’t want to take a risk.”
Sarr’s absence, his push for a move, the rejected Galatasaray bids and now Liverpool’s £50m proposal all collide at a critical moment for Palace. For Liverpool, it is another bold attempt to solve a problem they have been wrestling with all summer: how do you replace Mohamed Salah on the right, while still landing Barcola on the left?
The answer may now rest in how hard Sarr pushes, and how long Crystal Palace can keep saying no.
