Transfer windows are as much about moves that don't happen as those that do. Liverpool did sign Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, for a fee that could rise as high as £123 million. The Frenchman will be the Reds' starting left-winger, but there remains a Mohamed Salah-shaped ginormous void on the opposite flank.
Liverpool failed to land a new starting right-winger before the transfer window slammed shut on Tuesday night, despite interest in Yankuba Minteh, who remained at Brighton, Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who joined Newcastle, and Ismaïla Sarr.
At one stage, it felt likely that the Senegalese international was going to move to Merseyside for around £50 million. This led to mixed thoughts from supporters, who were unsure if paying such a high price for a 28 year old was a great idea.
In the end, the Liverpool hierarchy agreed. Even now though, we still don't have the full picture as to why this move fell through, and how all involved feel. Well, some clarity was provided by Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage on Thursday, speaking ahead of the Eagles' Premier League clash with Fulham at Craven Cottage. He is what the Frenchman had to say:
"He needs to recover because he is and always was injured, he’s still our player and we are okay with that. He has to digest for sure, because it’s a dream for a lot of players to play for this kind of club. I don’t think he will leave, we have a decision to make with the European list. I don’t really agree with this position [Sarr's agent] I just want to say that the club and the people here are respectful and we want the best for our club and players.”"Pierre Sage on Ismaïla Sarr
The Palace boss added that Sarr "needs time" to get over the fact he has not become a Liverpool player. He could still leave South London, given that the Turkish Süper Lig window does not shut until Friday. Galatasaray have had two bids for Senegalese forward rejected, but Sage has made it clear that this move will not be reignited, having included the winger in his UEFA Europa League squad.
The other quote to pick out is when Sage is talking about Sarr's agent. The agent in question is Diomansy Kamara, who represented Senegal 50 times at senior level, as well as playing for Portsmouth, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham, Celtic and Leicester City.
In a statement on Wednesday, Kamara stated this, after both Sarr and Lamine Camara both failed to land big moves:
"The cases of Ismaïla Sarr and Lamine Camara must all interrogate us. We have to get out of this logic where the African player can sometimes give the feeling that he is just a commodity: you buy it, you set its price, you negotiate its future and, too often, your will seems to go to the background. Our African players deserve respect. The respect of their work. The respect of their career. Respecting their ambitions. The respect of their voice. The fact that clubs can sometimes have the final word is a reality of professional football. But one question remains: what about the career and the will of the player? The player must be able to be heard and respected in the decisions that determine his future"Diomansy Kamara
The case of Camara's failed move from Chelsea to Monaco is far more egregious, with les Monégasques pulling out at the last minute, instead choosing to sell Folarin Balogun to Everton, only for that to collapse too. Liverpool, for their part, did not do anything wrong, but it will still be an interesting narrative when they face Crystal Palace in early-November.
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