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Highly rated winger Ismaila Sarr is on the radar of a number of elite clubs in England.
Words: Regan Foy | @findfoy
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Aston Villa are entering the race for highly-rated forward Ismaïla Sarr.
After an encouraging first season with Watford, despite their relegation, Ismaïla Sarr is attracting interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League this summer.
He has been linked with Everton, who have since spent money on James Rodriguez, Allan and Sarr’s former team-mate Abdoulaye Doucoure, as well as Manchester United as their deal for Jadon Sancho looks to have flopped spectacularly.
The side that are favourites for the Senegalese international’s signature are of course current Premier League Champions Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp looking to offer high-quality depth to his front line, following the arrival of Diogo Jota from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Reports state that an agreement for between £34,000,000 and £39,000,000 has been reached between Klopp’s side and The Hornets, and discussions now centre around the players weekly wage at the club.
Sarr’s preference this window had always been to join the Champions, but with the new arrival of Jota and the high-profile trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah, the 22-year-old’s game-time would quite obviously falter at the Liverbirds.
Ismaïla Sarr quite famously put a stake into the hearts of Liverpool fans last year as his relegation-tipped side put to bed any chance of the league leaders having an unbeaten Premier League season. The young forward scored two goals in six minutes against Klopp’s men in a game that saw Watford run out as 3-0 winners.
Reports in France, where Sarr started his career at FC Metz before moving to Stade Rennais and then subsequently Watford – where he broke their transfer record – are stating that Aston Villa have recently entered the race for the Senegalese international.
Aston Villa are ready to outbid Liverpool in every stance of the deal, according to FranceFootball, offering the player higher wages – now possible as Aston Villa are increasing their wage-structure year on year – and a starting spot within the squad to try and steal the prospect from under Klopp’s nose.
With higher quality competition at Liverpool, Sarr may find himself without game-time as he battles with the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota and January signing Takumi Minamino for a position in a matchday squad.
The potential move to Aston Villa would see him join as a regular starter and would likely see a player like Anwar El Ghazi leave the club just a year after signing permanently.
