Crystal Palace have targeted Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli as a direct replacement for Ismaïla Sarr ahead of a potential summer sale.
Talks between Crystal Palace and Liverpool have advanced over a deal for Sarr, forcing the Eagles to line up contingencies. Journalist Pete O’Rourke reports that the Moroccan international sits high on Palace’s wishlist, and Pierre Sage’s side views him as a strong acquisition who could actually upgrade their current attacking output. Ezzalzouli would command a fee ranging between £30 million and £40 million.
The Sarr Saga: Why the Winger Wants Out
Advanced talks between Crystal Palace and Liverpool will net Palace a total package worth roughly £60 million. Sarr clearly wants to leave, and player power frequently renders clubs helpless when stars force exits.
Sarr missed Palace’s opening two league matches under the guise of an ‘injury’ and pulled the ultimate modern transfer stunt by scrubbing all Palace-related posts from his social media accounts.
While losing a player contracted until 2029 stings, pocketing roughly £60 million for a player approaching his thirties represents outstanding business, enabling the club to reinvest significantly across the squad. However, the timing creates a massive headache. Sarr pushed for this exit extremely late in the window, leaving Palace scrambling for replacements with precious little time left on the clock.
Who Is Abde Ezzalzouli?
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli starred for Real Betis last season following his development through Barcelona’s academy and an initial stint with Osasuna before Betis secured his signature for £5 million in 2023.
The 24-year-old winger developed into one of Los Verdiblancos’ most influential players over three seasons, registering a staggering 15 goals and 10 assists across 43 appearances in all competitions during the 2025/26 campaign.
An untimely injury forced him to withdraw from Morocco’s World Cup squad at the eleventh hour, which delayed his start to the new season, though he managed a 15-minute cameo in Betis’ 5-2 defeat to Levante.
Ezzalzouli brings both experience and high upside, completely outperforming the attacking metrics of every current Palace winger. His instinctive goalscoring prowess mirrors Sarr’s qualities, meaning he will easily soften the blow if Liverpool complete their raid for the Senegal star.
