Sarr's agent accuses clubs of treating African players as commodities after Liverpool move collapses

Ismaila Sarr’s agent Diomansy Kamara has released an angry public statement after the Crystal Palace winger’s proposed move to Liverpool collapsed during the summer transfer window, accusing clubs of sidelining African players’ voices in transfer negotiations.

Kamara’s statement also referenced Chelsea’s failed deadline-day pursuit of Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, framing both breakdowns as symptomatic of a wider disregard for African players’ agency. “The cases of Ismaila Sarr and Lamine Camara must all interrogate us,” Kamara wrote. “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.”

His statement continued: “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.”

Crystal Palace had been determined to hold on to Sarr, who was their top scorer last season, despite Liverpool’s interest. Manager Pierre Sage publicly insisted the club would retain the Senegal international, and Palace ultimately blocked any exit. Liverpool had also seen bids for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh rejected before turning their attention to Sarr. The Reds did complete a £123m signing of PSG winger Bradley Barcola but finished the window without the additional wide option they had sought.

Sarr has not featured in either of Crystal Palace’s opening two Premier League fixtures this season, both of which ended in defeat, with an injury issue cited as the reason for his absence.

Palace have lost several prominent players in recent transfer windows. Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke departed 12 months ago, while defender Maxence Lacroix joined Chelsea this summer. The club’s resistance to sanctioning another high-profile sale underlines a clear shift in their approach to retaining key assets.

Kamara closed his statement with a pointed reminder of where the sport’s real value lies: “Let’s never forget what’s important: behind every success, it’s the players who write history first.”