Manchester United have opened preliminary talks with representatives for Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr, according to TeamTalk. The club is in the information-gathering phase, not deep negotiations — but the interest is real.
Sarr, 28, just finished what might be the best season of his career. Nine Premier League goals. Twenty in all competitions. He was a driving force behind Palace’s surprise UEFA Conference League title, scoring nine times in that competition and getting voted Player of the Season. Then he went to the World Cup and put up four goals and an assist for Senegal, even if they went out in the Round of 16 after blowing a 2-0 lead against Belgium.
What United’s recruitment team seems to like most is how Sarr played centrally for Senegal. He’s always been a winger by trade, but his ability to slide into the striker role is a big selling point. With Joshua Zirkzee expected to leave and Marcus Rashford’s future still hanging in the air, United need a forward who can start wide but also cover through the middle. Sarr fits that profile.
Crystal Palace is in no mood to sell cheap though. Sarr only joined in 2024 for under £15 million, but TeamTalk says the Eagles would want more than triple that now. He still has three years left on his contract, so they don’t have to move him. New manager Pierre Sage probably wants to keep his best attacker too, especially after that campaign.
United have also been watching Crysencio Summerville, but TeamTalk suggests Sarr has jumped ahead of him on the wishlist. That’s notable because United also need midfielders and Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keeping a tight grip on spending. Paying a huge fee for a 28-year-old forward — even one with proven Premier League production — carries risk. The margin for error gets smaller when you buy a player right after his best season.
Juventus is monitoring the situation too, which could complicate things if United decide to push forward. For now, it’s still exploratory. But Sarr checks a lot of boxes: pace, directness, versatility, big-game experience. He wouldn’t arrive as a project the way some of United’s recent signings did. The question is whether the price tag will make sense.
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