- Crystal Palace signed Ismaila Sarr for a bargain
- Outscoring £200 million talent
- Spearheading Eagles glory
When Crystal Palace signed Ismaïla Sarr in August 2024, it felt like a long time coming. Previous Sporting Dougie Freedman had been an admirer of the Senegalese forward, and finally landed his man for just £12.4 million.
Perhaps the most shocking thing about Sarr is that this is only his second season with Palace. Signed as the replacement for Michael Olise, it was always going to be a big ask to replicate his output. Sarr has more than stepped up.
Winning the FA Cup in his first year with the club, Sarr is already a cult hero, but there is a chance his legacy supersedes any previous Palace signing.
Numbers don’t lie
In 82 appearances for Palace, Sarr has scored 29 goals and registered eight assists. That works out at just over £425,000 per goal, or in other words, a bargain.
His market value has more than doubled in the last two seasons, and at 28-years-old, there’s a high chance that he sees out the remainder of his best years in South London.
His talismanic nature has seen him position himself as Palace’s main man. When Ebere Eze left, Sarr was there; when Mateta’s form dropped away, Sarr was there. He’s become Palace’s most important player, and has a real chance to spearhead the club to another major trophy.
Ranked Amongst Greats
Scoring in both legs of the Conference League quarter-final against Fiorentina, Sarr has maintained his habit of stepping up in the biggest of games. He scored twice in the FA Cup semi-final win over Villa, and even scored in the Community Shield win over Liverpool.
If his form continues and Palace are able to win the Conference League this season, Sarr will surely be considered one of the true Crystal Palace greats. His legacy will already be held forever, but if he can get his side over the line in Europe and inspire a strong end to the Premier League season, he may well go down as the greatest signing Palace have ever made.
In the modern game, a player who can score 17 goals in one season is coming at a cost much greater than the one Palace had to outlay to Olympique Marseille.
Sarr has scored more Premier League goals than the likes of Florian Wirtz, who cost £109 million, and Alexander Isak, who cost £126 million.
With a minimum of 9 games to play in all competitions, Sarr has the chance to extend his tally beyond twenty goals, furthering the record-breaking campaign he is experiencing.
Sarr also trails the Europa Conference League top scorers charts by just one goal, with both players above him knocked out of the competition.
Yet another masterstroke from Freedman, Sarr is without doubt one of the greatest signings in Crystal Palace’s recent history, and his legacy speaks for itself.
