Liverpool came close to signing Watford’s Ismaila Sarr, according to agent

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According to the agent of Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, Liverpool had everything in place to sign the winger in the summer, but the Reds baulked at the fee.

Sarr has remained with the Hornets this season and has scored five goals as he looks to help the club back into the Premier League.

The tricky winger was touted for a move to Liverpool in the summer and in January, with Reds legend John Barnes claiming the Watford man would have been a ‘fantastic’ addition to the Reds’ squad.

And Sarr’s agent, Thierno Seydi, has revealed just how close the Reds came to concluding a deal to bring Sarr to Anfield.

“With Liverpool, we were at the stage of signing the contract to bind the Reds to Ismaila Sarr,” he told Pan African Football.

“Everything was set, the monthly salary and the length of the deal. I even asked Sadio Mane to find him an apartment. But in the end, the English club were unable to put 40m euros (£35m) on the table to finalise the deal.”

Liverpool instead signed Diogo Jota from Wolves for a very similar fee. However, it is widely accepted that the deal for Jota was only doable due to the extended terms and instalments of the arrangement.

TBR View: Sarr is a quality player, maybe one to revisit in the future for Liverpool

Ismaila Sarr has all the qualities a wide forward in the Premier League needs. He showed it in glimpses with Watford when they got relegated and he has done it at times in the Championship too.

Liverpool might choose to revisit this one eventually when the pandemic settles and funds become more accessible.

They’ll need replacements and back up for the likes of Mane and Salah going forward, and Sarr could certainly do that role.