Sarr revealed Manchester United dream as Liverpool pursued £50m Crystal Palace winger

Ismaila Sarr openly professed his desire to join Manchester United at the same time Liverpool were pursuing the Crystal Palace winger as a potential wide forward signing during the summer transfer window.

The Senegal international became a target for Liverpool after they failed to land Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh. The Reds’ interest was genuine enough that a move was valued at around £50m, but the club ultimately secured their primary target — Bradley Barcola — from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m.

Speaking during the World Cup, Sarr made no secret of where his heart lay. “My dream club? Honestly, there is only one club. I love Manchester United with all my heart, and I am one of its biggest fans,” he said. “I have a three-year contract with Crystal Palace. It is up to them to decide. Football is my profession, and I enjoy playing it.”

Reports during the window suggested talks had taken place over a potential move to Old Trafford, though United ultimately chose not to add to their wide options this summer. Instead, the club signed three midfielders — Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba — with Marcus Rashford returning from his Barcelona loan to cover the flanks.

For Sarr, the collapse of a move to a top club has left a mark, according to Crystal Palace head coach Pierre Sage. “He has to digest for sure because it’s a dream for a lot of players to play with this kind of club,” Sage said. “He had a good opportunity but in the end it didn’t work. If he wants to continue, you have to have a good season with us as he did last year. We know he needs time. Like every bad situation, time does the job and we need time for that.”

Sarr’s situation underlines the complexity of the summer window for Palace, who retained the winger despite significant interest from the top of the Premier League. Whether his preference for United over Liverpool ultimately affected the outcome of those negotiations remains unclear.