Liverpool saw a £50m bid for the winger knocked back in the final week of the summer transfer window
Ismaila Sarr during the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Crystal Palace FC and KKS Lech Poznan.
Liverpool made a late bid for Ismaila Sarr in the summer transfer window. (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Liverpool have been told that their £50 million bid for Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr was never going to be accepted. The Eagles chairman Steve Parish has been talking about the situation and the rejected bid.
The Reds were alongside Turkish side Galatasaray in their interest in the Senegal international, but he remained at Selhurst Park beyond the deadline. That was despite the player and his agent, Diomansy Kamara, seemingly pushing for a move, with public comments and social media activity.
Speaking in an interview with the Athletic, Parish has spoken about Liverpool's interest and the situation as a whole. "It's unfortunate with Ismaila, but that wasn't really a situation that was of our doing," he said.
"A club (Liverpool) came in and, with the amount of money they bid, they couldn't seriously think in that market it was going to get done at that level, and then they didn't come back in for him. If you're selling players for £90m and then you want to bid us half of that for the replacement, it's fine, you can do it.
"I'm not criticising anybody for doing it. But it's not going to happen.
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"You could understand Ismaila would have liked to go and if it wasn't five days before the end of the window and the money was right, then we would have tried to facilitate it.
"I don't care what (Kamara) thinks in the context of accusations against us If any football club gets a bid for their top scorer five days before the end of a transfer window, that's going to be a difficult deal to get done.
"I would say to those representatives that the good ones would be managing those expectations with the player and not making it everybody else's fault. It's their job to get that bid earlier.
Steve Parish, co-owner and chairman of Crystal Palace, applauds the fans following the UEFA Conference League Final 2026 match between Crystal Palace FC and Rayo Vallecano.
Steve PArish has given the Crystal Palace view of the Ismalia Sarr transfer saga. (Image: Alex Grimm, Getty Images)
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"They get paid by the player and the club and are there to help everybody oil the wheels. It doesn't help anybody when you go in the media and make unfounded accusations."
21 goals in all competitions meant that Sarr ended last season as Palace's top goalscorer. He also stood out in the World Cup, scoring four times and providing one assist.
An injury has means that he has made just two appearances from the bench so far this season. He has though been included in the Senegal squad for the current international break.
The team take on Mozambique and Ethiopia in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.