Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has explained why Liverpool’s £50 million offer for Ismaila Sarr was rejected, insisting the proposed deal was never realistic so close to the end of the summer transfer window.
Liverpool made their approach with just five days remaining, but Crystal Palace had no intention of letting their top scorer leave under those circumstances. Turkish side Galatasaray had also shown interest in Sarr, while the winger’s agent Diomansy Kamara publicly criticised the handling of the situation.
Steve Parish has now given his side of the story in an interview with The Athletic.
Parish makes Palace position clear on Ismaila Sarr
“It’s unfortunate with Ismaila, but that wasn’t really a situation that was of our doing,” Parish said.
The Palace chairman was particularly frustrated by the timing of Liverpool’s offer.
“A club (Liverpool) came in and, with the amount of money they bid, they couldn’t seriously think in that market it was going to get done at that level, and then they didn’t come back in for him.”
Parish acknowledged that Sarr wanted the move, but insisted the timing and valuation made a departure extremely difficult.
“You could understand Ismaila would have liked to go and if it wasn’t five days before the end of the window and the money was right, then we would have tried to facilitate it.”
The Palace chairman also hit back at criticism from Sarr’s representatives, arguing that agents should help manage expectations rather than escalate disputes publicly.
Sarr remains a key figure for Palace after scoring 21 goals in all competitions last season, before adding four goals and an assist for Senegal at the World Cup.
