Transfer rumour · archive

Ismaïla Sarr to Liverpool

This move fell through. Last report: Sacha Tavolieri, 1 September 2026.

The move is dead, at least for now. Sacha Tavolieri reports the Ismaïla Sarr deal to Liverpool has gone cold and is being called off by parties inside it, with Crystal Palace unwilling to let their winger leave. That marks a sharp turn from just a day earlier, when Fabrice Hawkins said Palace had rejected a second Liverpool offer and Sarr was refusing to train in protest. Graeme Bailey adds that Palace are adamant he will not leave Selhurst Park before the window shuts, even though the player has made his wish to go clear. The sourcing here is strong. Tavolieri, Hawkins and Bailey are all well regarded reporters, and their accounts line up: Palace dug in, Sarr pushed hard, and the deal soured anyway. Santi Aouna and Ben Jacobs, both credible voices, had earlier detailed Palace's asking price and Liverpool's thinking, showing this was a serious pursuit before it curdled. Right now this is a long shot. For it to happen late, Palace would need a complete reversal, agreeing to sell a contracted player, under contract until 2029, that they have publicly refused to release, and Liverpool would need to meet a fee far above his roughly €46m market value. Everything currently points the other way. Sarr's past moves, from Stade Rennais to Watford for €30m in 2019 and Marseille to Crystal Palace for €15m in 2024, were far smaller than the €59m to €82m range discussed here. Liverpool paying at that level would dwarf those deals, though not their €85m purchase of a forward from Benfica in 2022. Watch for any signal Palace soften their stance before the window closes, or confirmation the

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