Crystal Palace's Senegal international Ismaila Sarr will need time to recover from the emotional blow of his collapsed move to Liverpool. That’s the candid assessment of the Eagles' manager Pierre Sagh, speaking in an interview with BBC Sport.
The 28-year-old winger, who topped the scoring charts for Palace last season, was deep in negotiations to join the Reds towards the end of the summer transfer window. However, at the last moment, the deal fell through, leaving Sarr to continue at Selhurst Park.
The French manager stressed that the club must show patience towards their star player's emotional state:
He definitely needs to process all of this, as for many players, playing for such a great club like Liverpool is a dream come true. He had a fantastic opportunity, but in the end, it didn't materialise. If he wants to keep growing, he needs to have another strong season with us, just like he did last year. We understand he needs time. As with any difficult life situation, time heals, and we need to be patient.
Sarr has yet to feature in any Premier League matches for Crystal Palace this season. Due to a groin injury, he missed the team's opening defeats against Everton away and Manchester City at home. The medical staff have now confirmed that the Senegalese forward will also miss the upcoming clash against Fulham. Notably, the Cottagers have also failed to secure any points from their two fixtures, having lost to Chelsea and Sunderland.
In light of the uncertainty surrounding Sarr's future, Palace's hierarchy attempted to sign 21-year-old Belgian winger Malika Fofana from Lyon on transfer deadline day. However, the young talent opted for a move to Sunderland instead, completing a transfer worth £30 million.
We did everything we could,
commented Sagh on the failed pursuit of Fofana.
Ultimately, the player chose based on his personal criteria. I wish him and his new club all the best, as he is a great lad and a fantastic footballer.
