The Sarr situation: Palace holding firm but Liverpool not walking away

Two draws from two Premier League matches and a transfer window closing at 11pm tonight, that is the reality Liverpool are waking up to on deadline day. The Reds have been here before, grinding away at a deal that refuses to move, and Ismaila Sarr is shaping up to be exactly that kind of window-defining saga.

Liverpool had a £50m bid for the Crystal Palace and Senegal winger knocked back last week, and according to Fabrizio Romano, further approaches have also been rebuffed. Palace are not blinking. The Eagles are understood to be holding out for £75m for their man, a figure that represents a significant gap from where Liverpool currently stand. That said, the Reds have not walked away. Foot Mercato reports that Liverpool remain determined to get a deal done, and with hours left in the window, that determination will be tested.

The Minteh thread that refuses to die

Sarr is not the only wide option Liverpool have been chasing this summer. The Reds had two separate offers rejected by Brighton for Yankuba Minteh earlier in the window, with the Seagulls reportedly holding firm at £80m. While the club are believed to have shifted their primary focus elsewhere since then, this one is not entirely buried.

Sources close to Minteh suggested over the weekend that talks between the two clubs were set to resume in a bid to push something over the line before tonight's deadline. Crucially, Minteh himself is understood to be keen on a move to Merseyside, which always changes the dynamic of a negotiation. Whether Brighton are willing to soften their valuation enough to make it happen remains the key question.

Liverpool move to secure N'Guessan's future at Anfield

While the big-money pursuits grind on, Liverpool have quietly done something rather smart. The club have reached an agreement with French Ligue 2 side Saint-Etienne to sign 18-year-old winger Djylian N'Guessan in a deal valued at approximately £4.25m. The French U20 international had been on Chelsea's radar, but it is Liverpool who have won that particular race.

N'Guessan made his professional debut at just 16 and has already racked up 11 senior appearances. He has 12 months remaining on his contract at Saint-Etienne, and the arrangement is understood to see him stay with the Ligue 2 club for the remainder of this season before making the move to Merseyside next summer. It is precisely the kind of forward-thinking piece of business Liverpool have become increasingly good at, securing a talent early, on sensible terms, before the market drives his price out of reach.

What deadline day could still deliver

The immediate priority remains the right wing and midfield depth, with Sarr the headline target as the clock runs down. Palace's resolve has been impressive, but transfer deadline day has a habit of unlocking deals that looked stuck solid just hours earlier. Liverpool know what they need, they know what they are willing to pay, and by 11pm tonight the picture will be considerably clearer. Whether Sarr ends up in red before the window slams shut, this evening promises to be a long one on Merseyside.