Liverpool set to return to transfer target Sadio Mane amid ideal $24m opportunity

Liverpool set to return to transfer target Sadio Mane amid ideal $24m opportunity

With Jurgen Klopp looking to refresh his ailing squad at Liverpool this summer, an earlier goal could end up being a great value option and help rejuvenate a current star.

A former Liverpool target, described in glowing terms as a “really good player” by a Reds great, is set to be available at a discount this summer. Given his bargain price, he could cheaply support a much-needed Anfield star.

Athletic striker Ismaïla Sarr is set to leave Watford this summer whether or not he is promoted to the Premier League this season after new contract talks have stalled. With just over a year left on his current deal at Hertfordshire, the quick and smart winger’s days look numbered after four seasons with the club. As confirmed in the report, Liverpool and Manchester United and Liverpool have expressed interest in the right-winger during his time at Vicarage Road, with Crystal Palace and Aston Villa also eyeing his availability. In fact, last summer the Villains saw a last-minute $30m (£25m/€29m) deal for the Senegalese star, meaning Sarr was forced to move on. the season in the championship.

Fascinatingly, Sarr began his footballing career at Generation Foot Academy in Dakar, where Sadio Mané began his rise to stardom, and joined Watford in 2019 after three years in France with Metz and Stade Rennais. Speaking to The Guardian in 2020, Mady Touré, president of the Génération Foot Academy in Dakar, described the close relationship between the Watford striker and Liverpool great Mané, calling him the Bayern man of today of “his big brother”.

Of course, Liverpool fans might remember the heartwarming moment Mané was filmed chatting to Sarr after a game between the Reds and Watford in 2020, in which the Kop favorite asked the Hornets captain of the time, Troy Deeney, to take care of his compatriot. There is no doubt that Mane has rooted for Sarr over the years and spoke highly of his abilities in an interview with the Athletic in 2019, saying: “He’s quick. I think defenders will struggle. The last Once I spoke to Robbo [Andy Robertson] I said ‘Watford have a really good player. I’ll have to help you more or Ismaila Sarr will kill you because he’s a good dribbler and very fast.'”

Sarr’s star waned slightly in subsequent years, with Watford sent to relegation last season and the Senegalese forward contributing a respectable, if unspectacular, 15 goals – nine goals and six assists – in 31 appearances in the championship so far in this period. During his two seasons in the Premier League, he scored 18 goals in 50 league games: 10 goals and eight assists. Perhaps his standout performance at last year’s World Cup suggests he’s more comfortable at the top level, as the Watford man is arguably his country’s best player in the world. tournament. In the absence of the talismanic Mané, Sarr scored against Ecuador and impressed against England, where a goal was disallowed by a sensational save from Jordan Pickford.

In the past, Jurgen Klopp has managed to break into the market for a few players in the Championship, with Gini Wijnaldum and the aforementioned Andy Robertson signing for Liverpool from relegated sides. With Liverpool currently in need of backing for Mohamed Salah, who has played more outfield players in the Reds squad this season than any other outfield player, a deal for the 51-cap international could prove wise considering given its relatively cheap price for a player of his experience. .

In a way, this could be a buy that would work for all parties if Liverpool land a player who has the potential to improve further at 25 and Sarr finally gets the chance to show his skills on a bigger stage. . It could very well be that the Senegalese star, valued at $24m (€25m) by Transfermarkt, could indirectly help Salah return to the kind of form he can produce by letting Klopp adjust his minutes, which could become even more important as his years progress.

There is no doubt that Mane’s selfless performances have helped the ‘Egyptian king’ reach new heights and he has been desperately lacking in points this season. Perhaps Klopp could find a player in compatriot Sarr to help Salah return to his devastating best.