Crystal Palace are demanding that Ismaila Sarr demonstrate his commitment to the club after his push for a summer exit ended without a transfer, leaving the 28-year-old's immediate future firmly at Selhurst Park.
Liverpool made a £50m offer for Sarr late in the window but were rebuffed, with Palace insisting throughout that the winger was not available. The Reds had also pursued Brighton's Yankuba Minteh without success, dropping out of that race on 30 August. Having failed to land either target, they rejected an £80m bid from Manchester City for Cody Gakpo with no replacement secured.
Sarr had not trained with the Palace squad since before the Premier League season began, and his frustration became visible when he removed all references to the club from his Instagram account. His agent, former striker Diomansy Kamara, released a statement on Wednesday condemning Palace for what he described as failing to respect the wishes of an African player. Sage dismissed that position, saying he did not agree and that the club and its people were respectful, adding that they simply wanted the best for the club and the players.
A groin injury has kept Sarr out of both Premier League fixtures so far this season and will prevent him from featuring at Fulham on Saturday. Sage said he had spoken with the winger and that Sarr had confirmed he intended to remain at the club, despite the Saudi Pro League and Turkish windows still being open. The manager acknowledged that the player needed time to process what had happened.
"He has to digest because it's a dream for a lot of players to play with this kind of club," Sage told reporters. "He had a good opportunity but it didn't work. If he wants the interest to continue, he has to give a good season with us, perform with us and score a lot of goals as he did last year. But we know that he needs time. I expect him (to be back) next week but I've said this twice before. What is important is that he comes in good shape and in a good mindset. That's why sometimes we want to wait a little bit."
Sarr scored 21 goals in 45 appearances for Palace last season and was last season's Conference League top scorer. That form drew attention from Liverpool, clubs in Turkey and interest from Saudi Arabia. The arrival of Rafael Leao at Galatasaray has ended any prospect of a move to that club, while a transfer to Anfield cannot happen before January at the earliest. The Saudi Pro League window remaining open until October means a permanent departure has not been entirely ruled out.
Palace had also been in discussions with Lyon winger Malick Fofana while Sarr's future was unresolved, but the 21-year-old chose to join Sunderland on deadline day. Sage said the club gave their best in those negotiations, but that the player ultimately made his decision based on his own criteria.
For now, Sage's focus is on bringing Sarr back into the fold and restoring his mindset. Palace stood firm throughout the window to retain last season's top scorer, and the manager has made clear that performing on the pitch this term is the most straightforward way for Sarr to keep alive any prospect of a future move.
Reporting: Daily Mail, The Independent, Evening Standard, TeamTalk, Football Insider.