Crystal Palace has turned down a £50 million offer from Liverpool for Senegalese winger Ismaila Sarr, keeping one of the Premier League’s most explosive attackers at Selhurst Park. The rejection lands with just days remaining in the summer transfer window, leaving Liverpool with shrinking options and a growing sense of urgency.
The bid, submitted on August 26, represents Liverpool’s attempt to land a player who has tormented them more than most. Sarr has scored seven goals in ten career matches against Liverpool, a stat line that apparently convinced the Reds’ recruitment team to adopt a “if you can’t beat him, buy him” philosophy.
Why Palace said no
The club signed Sarr from Marseille for just €15 million in August 2024. Two years later, they have a player who scored 21 goals and added two assists in 45 appearances during the 2025-26 season alone. Palace values Sarr at around €60 million, which is roughly £50 million. So Liverpool’s bid essentially matched the asking price on paper, but “matching” and “exceeding” are different things when you’re trying to pry away a club’s best attacker.
This isn’t even the first bid Palace has swatted away this summer. Galatasaray came calling earlier in August with an offer of approximately €30 million, about £26 million. Manager Pierre Sage has publicly stated his desire to keep Sarr as part of the squad. Sarr is also tied to Palace until June 2029, which means the club holds virtually all the leverage, with no expiring deal to create panic and no release clause to exploit.
