Liverpool failed in their pursuit of Ismaila Sarr and the Crystal Palace star's agent has taken aim at the reasons for the transfer not materialising
Ismaila Sarr remains a Crystal Palace player despite Liverpool's interest
Ismaila Sarr remains a Crystal Palace player despite Liverpool's interest
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Ismaila Sarr's agent, Diomansy Kamara, has made his frustrations public after his move to Liverpool failed to materialise, claiming: "African players deserve respect."
The Crystal Palace star, who was the top scorer for the Eagles last term, was heavily linked with a move to Anfield as Andoni Iraola sought more firepower. In recent years the south Londoners have seen a host of their leading lights leave Selhurst Park.
This summer Maxence Lacroix headed to Chelsea and 12 months ago they saw Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke depart for top Premier League sides. Palace were keen to avoid another high profile exit and weren't prepared to sanction Sarr's exit, despite Liverpool's interest. The Reds had been keen on Brighton's Yankuba Minteh before their bids were rejected.
On deadline day, Chelsea also saw their hopes of signing Lamine Camara from Monaco curtailed at the eleventh hour - and Kamara has lamented those failings.
He issued an angry statement which read: "The cases of Ismaila Sarr and Lamine Camara must all interrogate us. We have to get out of this logic where the African player can sometimes give the feeling that he is just a commodity: you buy it, you set its price, you negotiate its future and, too often, your will seems to go to the background.
"Our African players deserve respect. The respect of their work. The respect of their career. Respecting their ambitions. The respect of their voices. A transfer shouldn't just be a matter of two clubs and numbers. Behind every contract, there's a man, a career, dreams and life choices. The fact that clubs can sometimes have the final word is a reality of professional football.
"But one question remains: what about the career and the will of the player? The player must be able to be heard and respected in the decisions that determine his future. Let's never forget what's important: behind every success, it's the players who write history first."
Lamine Camara is another player whose deadline day move fell through
Lamine Camara is another player whose deadline day move fell through(Image: Getty Images)
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Sarr hasn't played in either of Palace's games this season, both of which they have lost. His absence from their opening day defeat at Everton came despite Pierre Sage insisting the Eagles would keep their player, who had been nursing an injury issue.
During the summer transfer window Liverpool did spend £123m to secure Bradley Barcola from PSG and had been keen to add another winger, but ultimately failed to do so.
Elsewhere in the Premier League Manchester City spent £85.6m to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille. That move came after he excelled with African nation Morocco at the World Cup - prompting those at the Etihad to make him the most expensive teenager in English top flight history.
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