Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage has broken his silence on the collapsed transfer saga involving winger Ismaila Sarr, confirming the Senegalese international will remain at Selhurst Park for now after a proposed move to Liverpool fell through.
Sarr had been tipped for a switch to Anfield, a transfer that would represent a significant step up for the 27-year-old, but any deal to the Premier League champions cannot now be revisited until the January transfer window at the earliest. Adding to the frustration, an alternative escape route also appears to have closed, with reports suggesting Galatasaray's pursuit of Sarr has been abandoned following the Turkish club's decision to sign Rafael Leao instead. The transfer window in Turkey remains open until Friday, but the arrival of the Portuguese forward is understood to have ended any realistic prospect of a switch to Istanbul.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Palace's clash with Fulham, Sage was candid in his assessment of the situation, acknowledging that time will be needed for Sarr to come to terms with missing out on a dream transfer.
"Like every bad situation, time does the job and we need time for that," Sage told the press conference on Thursday. "He needs time too. First of all he needs to recover because he was and is injured."
The Palace manager was quick to reaffirm the club's stance on the player's future, insisting there is no rift between the two parties despite the failed move.
"He is our player and we are happy with that," Sage said.
Sage also showed empathy for the winger, recognising the emotional weight of losing out on the chance to join one of Europe's biggest clubs, while stressing that Sarr must refocus on his performances for Palace going forward.
"He has to digest for sure because it's a dream for a lot of players to play with this kind of club [Liverpool]," Sage explained. "He had a good opportunity but in the end it didn't work. If he wants to continue, you have to have a good season with us as he did last year. We know he needs time."
The reference to Sarr replicating last season's form is a pointed one, given the winger was one of Palace's standout performers, and Sage clearly hopes he can rediscover that level once he has recovered from injury and processed the disappointment of the collapsed deal.
The Palace boss went further, pushing back on any suggestion that the club or its hierarchy had mishandled the transfer situation or treated Sarr unfairly during the saga.
"I don't really agree with this position, I just want to say that the club and the people here are respectful and we want the best for our club and players," Sage added.
His comments suggest Palace are eager to draw a line under the episode and move forward with Sarr very much part of their plans, at least until the winter window reopens the possibility of a departure. For now, though, the priority is getting the winger fit again after his injury layoff, with Sage keen to see him return to the kind of form that made him such a key figure for the Eagles last term.
Whether Sarr can fully put the disappointment behind him and refocus on Palace's season remains to be seen, but his manager's message was clear: the club values him, wants him to stay motivated, and believes another strong campaign could yet open further doors in the future.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.