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West Ham United interested in £17.3m Ismaila Sarr transfer as Watford summer exit on cards
West Ham United and German Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen are interested in signing Watford forward Ismaila Sarr this summer, according to Jeunes Footeux.
The 25-year-old, previously dubbed as “world-class” by international counterpart and ex-footballer El Hadji Diouf, has enjoyed another fruitful campaign in the Sky Bet Championship, registering ten goals and seven assists from 39 games.
With his contract at Vicarage Road expiring in June 2024, Watford fear losing him for a small fee and are open to a €20 million (£17.3m) sale this summer, according to French outlet Jeunes Footeux [25 May].
“Watford’s poor season has obviously convinced Sarr to take on a new challenge.
“Under contract until 2024 at Watford, the Senegalese international who has scored 10 goals and delivered 6 assists this season, will not be retained in the event of an offer of around €20m (£17.3m).
“It is therefore in this context that several clubs have positioned themselves. This is particularly the case of West Ham United who had a very complicated season, especially on the offensive level, but also for Bayer Leverkusen who could lose Moussa Diaby (announced in the Premier League).
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“However, the former Rennes player is not the priority of the German club”, the report reveals.
Attacking options needed
We all know Sarr’s undeniable qualities given his previous spells with Watford in the Premier League and the 25-year-old has been destined for a return to the English top-flight for a while now.
It’s been a rather disastrous Championship campaign for the Hornets who simply failed to achieve their targets of Premier League promotion, but a rather successful one for Sarr registering an impressive 17-goal involvements and again showing just why his talents are best served in the Premier League.
The Hammers will be desperate for attacking quality this summer, given Said Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen and Maxwel Cornet are their only out-and-out wingers in the team, and Sarr seems the perfect addition for the club.
The Senegalese international’s speed, unpredictability in the final third, dribbling skills and creativity make him an instant Premier League hit, and the kind of forward who can certainly lift bums off seats at the London Stadium.
£17.3m is an absolute snip and given the firesale of some of their key stars this summer, including Declan Rice, West Ham United should have more than enough money in the bank to tie this deal up quickly.