Rumour Mongering: Watford Open to Selling Former Liverpool Target Sarr

Last summer, Liverpool were in need of attacking reinforcements and most reports had them seeking out Watford’s Ismaïla Sarr as their top target, but with the just relegated side resistant to a move and setting a transfer fee the Reds considered too high they moved on.

In the end, that led them to Diogo Jota, and if you asked most today they would likely say Liverpool came out better for being forced to move on. Now, though, it appears Sarr could be available for around £40M as Watford are increasingly open to selling the 23-year-old.

Or at least that’s the story from The Athletic, who say that while Watford—who currently sit seven points clear in second and look likely to be promoted from the Championship—would ideally like to keep Sarr, they understand his long-term future lies away from the club.

However, while that may be true, Sarr’s current contract runs through 2024, giving the Hornets three more seasons and more than a little wiggle room. Even then, though, if they’d asked for £40M last summer there’s a solid chance Sarr would be at Anfield right now.

The question now is whether the Reds might return for him at that price. And the answer, at least unless one of the club’s current four attackers on the depth chart were to depart, is probably not—bringing in a £40M player to serve as fifth choice in attack is highly unlikely.

That will likely leave Watford, who may in part be motivated to sell due to the financial impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, to look elsewhere, with Manchester United another possible option and a club that in the past has also been linked with Sarr.