According to The Athletic, Ismaila Sarr could now leave Watford, with West Ham and Newcastle keen to bring him back to the Premier League.
What’s the story?
Well, the £30m man suffered relegation to the Championship with the Hornets last season, as his five goals and two assists weren’t enough to save them.
Ultimately, Sarr was not at fault, as Watford’s trigger-happy owners employed Xisco, Claudio Ranieri and Roy Hodgson all in the same season, with each receiving the sack.
Now, the Senegal international could be leaving Vicarage Road, as Watford aim to reduce their wage bill by 30% after dropping out of the Premier League.
Interestingly, Sarr is now the highest earner at Watford with a salary of £63,000-a-week, following Moussa Sissoko’s exit to Nantes.
Therefore, it would make sense for the 24-year-old to be the one who departs next, although The Athletic add that Emmanuel Dennis could also be sacrificed to save money.
The news comes after David Moyes allegedly joined Eddie Howe in the race to sign Sarr, as both the Hammers and the Magpies aim to improve their attack.
West Ham could have free run with Newcastle occupied
In our view, West Ham could have a free run at Sarr, as Newcastle are now focusing heavily on a move for Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby.
That isn’t to say that the Magpies aren’t still interested in Sarr, but fresh reports have claimed that Newcastle are now ready to shatter their club-record transfer fee to sign the France international.
If they are successful with their bid, you would presume Newcastle won’t look to sign another winger, as they already have Allan Saint-Maximin.
With the Magpies clearly focusing on a huge offer for Diaby, that leaves West Ham free to have a look at Sarr.
We know the Irons are in for a winger, following interest in Arnaut Danjuma, but after that deal supposedly collapsed, don’t be surprised if the east Londoners now pursue Sarr instead.
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