Crystal Palace agree Ismaila Sarr transfer in plan to replace Michael Olise

Evening Standard

·25 July 2024

Crystal Palace agree Ismaila Sarr transfer in plan to replace Michael Olise

Former Watford winger is set to undergo a medical in London ahead of completing a £12.7m switch to Selhurst Park from Marseille

Standard Sport understands that the Senegal international winger is poised to undergo a medical in London on Friday ahead of completing a summer move from French club Marseille worth around £12.7million.

OneFootball Videos

Sarr is said to have agreed an initial four-year contract with Palace as he prepares to return to English football after only a year away.

The 26-year-old previously spent four years at Watford between 2019-23 after arriving from Rennes for a club-record fee of £27m, scoring 34 goals and registering 22 assists in 131 total appearances across all competitions for the Hornets.

Premier League return: Former Watford star Ismaila Sarr is on his way back to England with Crystal Palace

AFP via Getty Images

Sarr returned to France last summer after joining Marseille for an undisclosed fee, scoring five times in 35 outings for the club as they finished an eventful campaign eighth in Ligue 1.

He leaves the Stade Velodrome after only one season, with OM making significant changes to their squad this summer after appointing former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi as their new manager.

Marseille have already offloaded the likes of Iliman Ndiaye, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Vitinha, Matteo Guendouzi and Pape Gueye, while bringing in Mason Greenwood from Manchester United and Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg plus Watford’s Ismael Kone, Bamo Meite and Lilian Brassier.

Sarr will now help fill the sizeable void at Palace left by the departure of star winger Michael Olise, who joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich for a fee of around £50m earlier in July.

He is poised to become the third signing of the summer for the Eagles, who have already recruited Moroccan defender Chadi Riad from Barcelona following an impressive loan spell at Real Betis.

Palace - who also looked at Sarr during his time at Watford - also moved to reunite manager Oliver Glasner with former Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Daichi Kamada on a two-year contract following his exit from Serie A outfit Lazio.

However, Palace now look to have missed out to Fulham on the signings of Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal and Ryan Sessegnon following the latter’s departure from Tottenham.

Sarr will be expected to join Palace on their upcoming pre-season tour of the USA, which sees them head to Annapolis and Tampa respectively for clashes against Premier League rivals Wolves and West Ham.

Glasner’s side began preparations for their first full season under the Austrian with a 1-1 draw against rivals Charlton last weekend and also host Nantes at Selhurst Park before beginning the new Premier League season away at Brentford on August 18.