Ismaila Sarr’s Agent Condemns Treatment of African Players in Transfers

Ismaila Sarr’s agent has gone public after Liverpool’s late move for the Crystal Palace winger collapsed, using a powerful statement to condemn how African players are treated in the transfer market.

Liverpool spent the final days of the window hunting one more wide forward. Victor Munoz had already arrived, a huge £123million deal for Bradley Barcola was in place, and the club then pushed for a third winger before the deadline. Talks were held with Palace over Sarr and with Brighton over Yankuba Minteh as the Reds tried to complete an attacking reshuffle.

They also explored Ibrahim Mbaye during the Barcola negotiations, but opted against a deal, leaving the 18-year-old to join Aston Villa for €55m (£47m).

Liverpool’s interest in Sarr was serious. An offer of £40m went in, with some reports, including Fabrizio Romano, suggesting a £50m proposal followed. Other sources dismissed that higher figure, but what is clear is that Liverpool tested Palace’s resolve.

Palace pushed back hard. The London club set Sarr’s price at above £50m and made it clear they would not sanction a sale so late in the window. With no room to negotiate and the clock ticking, Liverpool walked away.

It was not the only late deal to unravel for agent Diomansy Kamara. Another of his clients, Lamine Camara, saw a £47m move to Chelsea collapse at the last moment when Monaco backed out of selling the midfielder.

That double frustration prompted Kamara to post a lengthy, emotional message on social media.

“The cases of Ismaïla Sarr and Lamine Camara must all interrogate us,” he wrote, before turning his fire on the way African players are handled in high-level negotiations.

“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 voices.

“A transfer shouldn’t just be a matter of two clubs and numbers. Behind every contract, there’s a man, a career, dreams and life choices.

“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.

“Let’s never forget what’s important: behind every success, it’s the players who write history first.”

His words land in a context of mounting interest around Sarr. Manchester United and Galatasaray both explored moves during the summer. Sarr himself appeared to be pushing for a change, deleting all Crystal Palace-related images from his Instagram account as the window wore on.

Neither suitor went far enough. United never turned their interest into a formal push, while Galatasaray’s offers stayed well below the £50m mark and never forced Palace to make a decision.

Liverpool then saw the other flank of their winger hunt shut down. Brighton rejected verbal offers of £50m and £60m for Minteh. Andoni Iraola’s side considered returning with an improved bid in the £65–70m range, but stepped back when Brighton responded with an £80m valuation.

So Liverpool end the window with Barcola secured but the rest of their attacking wishlist unfulfilled. The Frenchman’s arrival is undeniably exciting for supporters, yet the failure to land a third winger – on top of concerns about right-back and central midfield depth – leaves a lingering question over whether this squad has been armed with enough firepower for the season ahead.