Ismaila Sarr faces an uncertain Palace future after his proposed Liverpool move fell through.
Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC
Full name: Liverpool Football Club Nickname: The Reds Founded: 3 June 1892 Ground: Anfield Owner: Fenway Sports Group Chairman: Tom Werner Head coach: Andoni Iraola League: Premier League Season 2025-26: 5th rank Website: liverpoolfc.com Liverpool Football Club is in the… Read More about LIVERPOOL
Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr is being given time to get over his failed transfer, according to head coach Pierre Sage. News broke late in the window that Liverpool had shown serious interest in signing him, but the transfer collapsed before a deal could be reached.
Ismaila Sarr left to digest collapsed Liverpool deal
Sarr finished last season as Palace’s top scorer, and Liverpool had identified him as a genuine attacking option. Talks never progressed far enough to convince Palace to sanction a sale. The winger has instead remained at Selhurst Park heading into the new Premier League season.
As reported by BBC, head coach Pierre Sage explained that the forward will need real space to accept how the move eventually fell apart. Sage summed it up plainly, saying, “Like every bad situation, time does the job and we need time for that.” Ismaila Sarr has not featured for Palace this season because a persistent groin injury has kept him out. He missed league defeats against Everton and Manchester City, and he will also sit out Saturday’s trip to Fulham.
Sarr’s stats for the 2025-26 season at Crystal Palace, as per FOTMOB:
Competitions Matches Goals Assists Chances created
Premier League 28 9 1 19
EFL Cup 1 2 0 4
Conference League 13 9 0 9
Sage defends Palace’s approach to the transfer window
Palace also explored other attacking reinforcements before the summer transfer deadline day finally arrived this week. They held serious discussions with Belgium forward Malick Fofana as a possible alternative option to Ismaila Sarr. Fofana instead completed a £30m move from Lyon to newly promoted Sunderland.
Sage sounded fairly philosophical about missing out on signing the talented young Belgian forward this summer. “We gave our best,” he said, before adding that Fofana simply made his own choice. Palace’s business elsewhere in the window included depth signings across the forward line, giving Sage more rotation options even without Fofana or a Sarr replacement arriving.
The numbers around this transfer window show a club that made fewer moves than several of its Premier League rivals, who spent more aggressively chasing attacking depth in the closing days.
Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC
Focus turns to Fulham test
Attention now turns to Saturday’s away trip to Fulham, which kicks off at 15:00 BST in a fixture that will decide who claims their first points of the new football season. Fulham are also still searching for their first Premier League point of the new campaign. They lost their opening two league matches, at home to Chelsea and away at Sunderland. Both results left them bottom of the Premier League standings heading into this fixture.
Tactically, Palace may need to adjust their attacking shape again with Sarr unavailable for selection. His pace and directness usually stretch opposing defences, so Sage may lean on alternative wide options to fill that role. Fulham have conceded from quick transitions in both their opening matches, a pattern Palace’s forwards could look to exploit if they push the tempo early.
Both sides go into the match under pressure of a different kind. Fulham need a first point on the board after two defeats and zero goals scored in their opening fixtures. Palace need a response that shows up in the result, not just in Sage’s comments about patience and timing. With Sarr still out and no like-for-like replacement signed, Saturday will show whether Palace’s other attacking options can actually deliver in his absence, or whether his return can come soon enough.