Everton and Nottingham Forest are set to battle for the signing of Marseille forward Ismaila Sarr on a loan-to-buy deal before Thursday’s transfer deadline.
Image source: premierleague.com
Ismaila Sarr, 25, only joined Marseille from Watford in the summer for €13m fee. He has enjoyed a decent debut season at Marseille so far, scoring four goals and registering two assists in 21 appearances across all competitions. Whilst the Senegal international was a regular under Marcelino, he is not suited to current manager Gennaro Gattuso’s system, and Marseille are thus open to an exit this month.
Everton, along with Nottingham Forest have been reportedly monitoring Sarr’s situation at Stade Velodrome. However, the Premier League duo must be careful with their finances and spending due to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Villarreal, who is now managed by former Marseille boss Marcelino, are also interested in the 25-year-old’s services amid claims that the Ligue 1 side is open to selling him for around £13m.
Ismaila Sarr on his way out of Marseille?
Everton boss Sean Dyche has prioritised the addition of a new winger and midfielder before the transfer deadline but the club’s lack of funds has been a stumbling block. The Toffees are trying to arrange together some 11th-hour loan deals to help Sean Dyche’s team in their battle against relegation, although it is proving difficult.
As for Forest, they find themselves in a tad better financial position than Everton but their transfer business will still be limited in this transfer window. The Tricky Trees are closing in on the loan signing of Giovanni Reyna from Borussia Dortmund and also remain interested in Southampton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz. In addition, they also remain in the market for a new goalkeeper.
Ismaila Sarr had a productive AFCON campaign, where he supplied a goal and two assists in four appearances for Senegal before his nation bowed out at the hands of hosts Ivory Coast in a penalty shootout in the Round of 16. The 25-year-old is due to return to Marseille, and by the looks of it, a move away so late in the transfer window looks highly unlikely.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
