Sarr 'is with us', says Palace boss Sage amid Liverpool links

Pierre Sage insisted Ismaila Sarr "is with us" amid rumours of the Crystal Palace winger being linked with a move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window. 

Sarr is reportedly the subject of a £50m bid from Liverpool, who are hoping to strengthen the right-hand side of their attack after Mohamed Salah's exit at the end of last season.

Liverpool had been interested in signing Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig, who instead chose La Liga giants Real Madrid, along with Paris Saint-Germain's Ibrahim Mbaye. 

Yankuba Minteh was another reported target, with Liverpool said to have made two bids for the Brighton attacker, but fell short of the Seagulls' £70m valuation of the 22-year-old. 

But the Reds' attention has now turned to Sarr, who has netted 33 goals and provided eight assists in 92 appearances across all competitions for Palace since joining them in 2024.

No player registered more goal involvements than Sarr's 22 (21 goals, one assist) for the Eagles in all competitions last season as Palace went on to win the Conference League in Oliver Glasner's final campaign in charge. 

Sarr has also made a habit of scoring against Liverpool, too. Since the 2019-20 season, only Ollie Watkins and Erling Haaland (both eight) have netted more goals in all competitions against the Reds than Sarr (seven). 

The Senegal international was absent from Palace's opening-day defeat to Everton because of injury, with Sarr also linked with a move to Galatasaray earlier this summer. 

"For everybody to have this kind of contact is difficult because you hesitate a lot," Sage told reporters on the situation surrounding Sarr. "For the moment, he is with us.

"He is under contract. He is injured, and maybe you can make a link between his injury and the situation. For me, he is honest, and I have no problem with that.

"We just want him on the pitch. All the rest is for other people. Football is like this."

Another player who has been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park is Jean-Philippe Mateta. 

Palace and Mateta have been embroiled in a legal dispute over the validity of the unilateral one-year extension in his contract, which the Eagles triggered last season.

The case was heard by a Premier League tribunal at the end of last season, with Mateta's camp later taking it to FIFA, who ruled it was not within their jurisdiction.

Despite the lengthy proceedings, the matter was only played out in public for the first time on Saturday, but Sage has no concerns over Mateta's commitment to Palace.

"I speak with him every day and in front of me I have a guy who is funny and happy to be here. He gives his best in every session," Sage said. 

"I don't see a player who has a problem with the club or with us. That's why he played the last game as a starter.

"Imagine if you have a problem with us, he would not play as a starter. I think he will stay.

"Like, I told you he has the behaviour of someone who is happy to be here and wants to be here, and prepares to be here all season. I have no doubt about that."