Watford have set a £40m threshold fee for Senegalese winger Ismaila Sarr who is wanted by a host of clubs including Liverpool.
Watford spent £30m to sign Sarr from Rennes last summer and there is a belief the player’s value has only increased after a year in England, while the club are in a strong position given that the Senegal international has four years left on his contract.
Sarr was one of the Hornets’ decent performers in their dismal campaign where they finished in the relegation zone. It’s a common trend for relegated teams to sell valuable stars so as to keep themselves financially afloat.
It was Watford and Sarr who helped remove the cloak of Liverpool’s invincibility just before lockdown. They handed the champions their first taste of defeat in a 3-0 win at Vicarage Road.
Watford will not be offering any discounts on star winger Ismaila Sarr, with the relegated club demanding more than £40m ($52m) from interested parties.
Crystal Palace and Wolves had been credited with an interest in the 22-year-old Senegalese attacker but are unlikely to be able to afford what the Hornets are asking.
Instead, Liverpool are reported to have gone to the front of the queue for Sarr, and the likelihood of a bid will increase if they are able to offload Harry Wilson, Xherdan Shaqiri and Marko Grujic.
The winger would fit the profile of player Jurgen Klopp is after and, at just 22, has plenty of years to develop further.
Sarr himself would be keen on a move to Liverpool, or another top-six side, but a switch to Anfield is particularly attractive given it would allow him to play alongside his hero, Sadio Mane
However, there is still a long way before Sarr can be considered close to any sort of Anfield move, so if a deal can’t be completed for the Watford forward, Liverpool will no doubt have other players in mind who could perform in a similar fashion.
The Reds are known for their ability to recruit very good alternatives in case they miss out on main targets. Also, they may have been put off by Watford’s asking price for Sarr so we’ll have to wait and see how that story develops.
