Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish says Liverpool's bid for Ismaila Sarr was insufficient and arrived five days before the transfer deadline, with the Reds choosing not to return with another offer
Ismaila Sarr of Crystal Palace is in action during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Crystal Palace at Elland Road in Leeds, United Kingdom, on September 20, 2026. (Photo by Maynard Manyowa/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Liverpool made a bid for Ismaila Sarr in the summer transfer window(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool has been informed that its $66 million (£50M) offer for Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr was never going to be entertained.
Eagles chairman Steve Parish has broken his silence on the matter, addressing both the situation and the rejected proposal.
The Reds were competing with Turkish outfit Galatasaray for the signature of the Senegal international as they aimed to find a replacement for Mohamed Salah on the right wing, yet he remained at Selhurst Park beyond the transfer deadline. This was despite the player and his agent, Diomansy Kamara, appearing to actively push for a departure through public statements and social media activity.
In an interview with The Athletic, Parish addressed Liverpool's pursuit and the broader circumstances surrounding it. "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."
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)
Parish did, however, acknowledge Sarr's desire to seek pastures new, reports the Liverpool Echo, adding: "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.
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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."
Sarr finished the previous campaign as Palace's leading marksman with 21 goals across all competitions. His performances also caught the eye during the World Cup, where he found the net four times and registered one assist.
However, an injury setback has restricted him to just two substitute appearances in the current campaign. Nevertheless, he has been named in the Senegal squad for the ongoing international fixtures.
The national side faces Mozambique and Ethiopia in Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches.