Watford tell Aston Villa and Crystal Palace that Ismaila Sarr transfer won’t come cheap as they demand £25million
WATFORD aim to hold out for a £25million fee for star man Ismaila Sarr as his name comes up on Premier League radars.
Top-flight clubs hoping for a bargain deal or even a drop in price have been reminded of the valuation — and the fact the Hornets are not about to cave in.
Ismaila Sarr is being linked with a return to the Premier LeagueRex
Aston Villa are keen and Crystal Palace have been long-term admirers of the Senegal winger, 24 — but that price tag is too high for both.
He joined Watford for a club-record £40million three and a half years ago.
And he has gone on to contribute 31 goals and 22 assists in 114 appearances for the club.
Sarr also represented his country at the Qatar World Cup, starting all four of Senegal’s games before they were eliminated by England in the last-16.
Last month, Sarr’s former Watford team-mate Troy Deeney praised the Senegalese attacker’s ability.
In an exclusive column for SunSport, he said: “From the moment he joined us at Watford back in the summer of 2019, we knew he was something special at 21 years old.
“His blistering pace is frightening. He runs so effortlessly.
“When you are a big guy like me and you can’t run, it is quite disheartening.
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“He is genuinely a nice bloke, and funny. His English was not great at the start but rather than being embarrassed by it, he made fun of himself which was quite endearing.
“At the same time, when Ismaila is on it, he is scary.
“I remember watching him in the Europa League for Rennes against Arsenal in the 2018-19 season and he tore them a new one.
“He has the ability to do that, especially in his natural position on the flanks. If you play him down the middle, you lose something from his game but he can be deadly on the right or left.”
Watford occupy a play-off spot in the Championship, sitting fourth after 29 games.
But they are a huge 13 adrift of an automatic promotion spot, with Burnley and Sheffield United opening up a substantial gap to the chasing pack.
