Ismaila Sarr continues to see his name mentioned in the same breath as Manchester United and Liverpool, but the Watford winger is paying little attention to transfer “rumours”.
The 23-year-old forward attracted interest from Old Trafford and Anfield during the summer window of 2020.
No deal was done, allowing him to remain fully focused on events at Vicarage Road, but speculation continues to rage regarding a potential future deal.
What has been said?
Sarr has told the Watford Observer when quizzed on the gossip that he finds himself at the centre of: “I think they are just rumours because I'm enjoying it here.
“I still have three years on my contract, and I'm focused on Watford and I want to stay.”
Why is Sarr in demand?
Watford invested over £30 million ($42m) in a promising performer when snapping him up from Rennes in the summer of 2019.
They were a Premier League outfit at the time, but suffered relegation during Sarr’s debut campaign in England.
A string of lively showings from the Senegalese allowed his stock to continue rising, though, on an individual level.
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A match-winning display was put in during a memorable victory over champions-elect Liverpool, with six goals recorded in total during the 2019-20 campaign.
Sarr has hit nine more for Watford this season, as they target an immediate return to the top tier, and remains a key man for the Hornets.
Who else has been discussing a possible transfer?
Sarr’s agent, Thierno Seydi, has revealed that moves to Manchester and Liverpool were discussed a little under 12 months ago.
He has told PanAfricanFootball: “With Liverpool, we were at the stage of signing the contract that would tie the Reds to Ismaila Sarr.
“Everything was sorted: the monthly wages and the length of the deal. I’d even asked Sadio Mane to find him an apartment.
“But in the end, they weren’t able to put the €40m (£35m/$49m) on the table to finalise the deal.
“You have to say that if English clubs that once animated the transfer window are struggling to put funds together, that shows the depth of the crisis affecting football.”
On United, Seydi added: “During the summer, they wanted to sign him. At the last moment, they offered a loan without the option to buy.
“Watford did not accept this because they wanted the loan to include an agreement to buy him.”
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