Club Make Verbal Offer To Watford For Star, Hornets Prepared To Sell

Watford have had an offer communicated to them by French giants Marseille for winger Ismaila Sarr and are ready to cash in for the right price.

The Hornets failed to secure promotion back to the Premier League last term and are looking at another season of Championship football.

Winger Sarr has long been linked with finding the exit door at Vicarage Road in multiple transfer windows and he may do so this summer.

Marseille have zeroed in on Sarr and are keen to take him to Ligue 1, with their opening move having been made.

They have, according to French outlet Foot Mercato, sent an initial offer, a verbal offer, to Watford for Sarr.

Watford are suggested to be fully prepared to cash in on Sarr this summer and are looking for between €22m and €25m to let him go.

Joining Marseille would mean a return to France for Sarr, who kicked off his career at Metz before then signing for Rennes.

A move to the Stade Velodrome would also hand Sarr an opportunity to play Champions League football next term, with Marseille having finished third in Ligue 1 last

Watford star Ismaila Sarr is the subject of transfer interest from Olympique Marseille, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Sarr has one-year remaining on his contract at Watford and is expected to be sold this summer.

A move to Marseille would see Sarr swap Championship football for the Champions League, and see him return to Ligue 1, where he played before his move to England in 2019.

Heading into this summer, one big question mark surrounding Watford was the future of Ismaila Sarr.

Having nearly moved to Aston Villa last summer, only for the deal to break down, the Senegalese international went on to have an underwhelming campaign at Vicarage Road.

To be fair to Sarr, in scoring 10 goals and registering six assists, he still produced good numbers, but there was an overall feeling that even Sarr himself would surely admit that he was not at his best.

So far this summer, there has been very little reported transfer interest in Sarr, even despite the Championship getting underway in a fortnight.

Now, though, it looks as though that has changed.

Champions League club linked with Ismaila Sarr

Indeed, that is the case according to Fabrizio Romano, who has reported that French side Marseille have made a move to sign Sarr this summer.

Romano reports that the French side have started contacts for Sarr, with talks ongoing over potentially bringing him to France.

Sarr is not the only option under consideration by the club, but is on their list, reports Romano, who ends by stating that negotiations are taking place.

Marseille finished 3rd in the French Ligue 1 last season, meaning they will play in the Champions League next season, albeit they will enter the competition at the third qualifying round stage.

How long does Ismaila Sarr have left on his Watford contract?

Having signed a five-year deal when joining Watford in 2019, Ismaila Sarr is tied down at Vicarage Road until the summer of 2024.

This means that the Senegalese international has just one-year remaining on his current deal.

As such, it is widely expected that Watford will cash in on what is now their star asset following Joao Pedro’s sale to Brighton.

How much will Ismaila Sarr cost this summer

As touched upon above, last summer, a move to Aston Villa for Sarr broke down.

At that time, the Villains were reportedly set to pay Watford a transfer fee of £25 million.

That was last summer, though, when Sarr had two-years remaining on his deal, and the Hornets were in a stronger position.

No valuation has yet appeared this summer. However, given it was £25 million last year, with one-year remaining on his deal, it is likely that his value has now fallen below that.

Should Ismaila Sarr leave Watford for Marseille?

It really does feel like the right time for Ismaila Sarr to move on from Watford this summer.

After suffering two relegations with the Hornets, and sticking with them despite that, with one-year remaining on his deal, it makes sense for both parties to look elsewhere.

Watford will be looking to get a decent fee for their player, whilst Sarr will get to play at a higher level than the Championship, which his ability warrants.

A move to Marseille could be a good one, too, as it would see him return to Ligue 1, where he performed well before his move to England.

Although it seems as though things are at the early stages, the prospect of going from Championship to Champions League football is surely an exciting one for the 25-year-old.