Watford have reportedly slapped a £40m price tag on Ismaila Sarr as they look to ward off suitors who will be able to offer him Premier League football.
Sarr caught the eye last time Watford were relegated, and there were suggestions that a move to Liverpool was on the cards, but such a move never materialised for the Senegalese wide-man.
Instead, he spent 2020-21 back in the Championship, racking up 13 goals and 10 assists in the process, helping the Hornets back into the top flight at the first time of asking.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 12: Ismaïla Sarr of Watford during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Watford FC at Vitality Stadium on January 12, 2020 in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
And, his return to the Premier League has been a mixed one, with injury reducing him to just 21 appearances, which have yielded 5 goals and 2 assists as the Hornets look condemned to relegation.
With four games to go, they need four wins and for none of the sides above them to pick up a point in order to survive. Alternatively, they will officially be relegated should they lose against Roy Hodgson’s former side, Crystal Palace, on Saturday.
Sarr free to leave, at hefty cost
For Sarr, a chance to stay in the Premier League could arise, but only if interested clubs are willing to stump up around £40m for his services, according to a report by Footballtransfers.
It comes amid interest from newly-rich Newcastle United, who are keen to strengthen their squad this summer after a remarkable recovery from January, when they sat in the relegation zone alongside Watford.
Sarr, still only 24, could prove a shrewd pickup for Eddie Howe and co, and would offer another wide outlet to complement Alan Saint-Maximin, though the price may be too steep even for the richest club in the world.
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City | 34 | 63 | 83 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 34 | 64 | 82 |
| 3 | Chelsea FC | 34 | 39 | 66 |
| 4 | Arsenal FC | 34 | 13 | 63 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 34 | 20 | 61 |
| 6 | Manchester United | 36 | 5 | 58 |
| 7 | West Ham United | 35 | 7 | 52 |
| 8 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 34 | 1 | 49 |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 35 | -8 | 44 |
| 10 | Newcastle United | 35 | -16 | 43 |
| 11 | Leicester City | 33 | -6 | 42 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 34 | 3 | 41 |
| 13 | Aston Villa | 33 | -2 | 40 |
| 14 | Brentford FC | 35 | -11 | 40 |
| 15th | Southampton FC | 35 | -17 | 40 |
| 16 | Burnley FC | 34 | -15th | 34 |
| 17 | Leeds United | 34 | -34 | 34 |
| 18 | Everton FC | 33 | -20 | 32 |
| 19 | Watford FC | 34 | -37 | 22 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 34 | -49 | 21 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 22 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 19 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 18 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 15th |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 14 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur | 13 |
| Tony, Ivan | Brentford FC | 12 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace | 12 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City | 11 |
| Saka, Bukayo | Arsenal FC | 11 |
| Mahrez, Riyad | Manchester City | 11 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 10 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 10 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 10 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 10 |
| Pukki, Teemu | Norwich City | 10 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City | 10 |
| Rafinha | Leeds United | 10 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 10 |
| Smith-Rowe, Emile | Arsenal FC | 10 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bednarek, Jan | Southampton FC | 0 | 10 |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 0 | 10 |
| Bissouma, Yves | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 10 |
| Firpo, Junior | Leeds United | 0 | 10 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 9 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 0 | 9 |
| Neves, Ruben | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | 9 |
| Brownhill, Josh | Burnley FC | 0 | 9 |
| Mings, Tyrone | Aston Villa | 0 | 9 |
| Xhaka, Granit | Arsenal FC | 1 | 8 |
| Mctominay, Scott | Manchester United | 0 | 9 |
| Salisu, Mohammed | Southampton FC | 0 | 8 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 7 |
| Richarlison | Everton FC | 0 | 8 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 1 | 7 |
| Alonso, Marcos | Chelsea FC | 0 | 8 |
| Moreno, Rodrigo | Leeds United | 0 | 8 |
| Cash, Matty | Aston Villa | 0 | 8 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa | 0 | 8 |
| Joelinton | Newcastle United | 0 | 8 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 13 |
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 12 |
| Robertson, Andy | Liverpool FC | 10 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur | 9 |
| Mount, Mason | Chelsea FC | 9 |
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 9 |
| Bowen, Jarrod | West Ham United | 8 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 8 |
| Kulusevski, Dejan | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 7 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 7 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City | 7 |
| Mbeumo, Bryan | Brentford FC | 7 |
| Cancelo, Joao | Manchester City | 7 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City | 6 |
| Saka, Bukayo | Arsenal FC | 6 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 6 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 6 |
| Antonio, Michael | West Ham United | 6 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City | 6 |