Galatasaray have stepped up their efforts to sign Crystal Palace forward Ismaïla Sarr, but the Premier League club are understood to want more than £50m for the Senegal international.
Sarr has emerged as one of the most sought-after players towards the end of the transfer window after an outstanding season for Palace and an impressive 2026 World Cup with Senegal.
According to TEAMtalk, Galatasaray have presented the 28-year-old with a contract proposal, with Sarr’s representatives reportedly agreeing to the personal terms. However, there is currently no agreement between the Turkish club and Palace over a transfer fee.
Crystal Palace are insisting on a figure above £50m before they will consider allowing the winger to leave.
Initial expectations among intermediaries were that a deal could potentially be completed for about £30m. Palace, however, rejected that valuation immediately, making clear that they place a significantly higher price on the player.
Manchester United are also understood to be monitoring developments involving Sarr. The situation could therefore develop into a three-way transfer battle, with Galatasaray currently attempting to make the strongest move for the Senegal forward.
Sarr’s current contract with Palace runs until June 2029, leaving the London club in a strong position. With three years remaining on his deal, Palace are under no immediate contractual pressure to sell and can maintain their asking price.
The forward was absent when Palace began their season with a 2-0 defeat by Everton. He also missed several training sessions during the week.
Palace have maintained that Sarr’s absence is the result of an injury and is not connected to the interest from Galatasaray.
However, reports from Fabrizio Romano have suggested that Sarr has agreed personal terms with the Turkish side and wants to move to Istanbul.
🚨⚠️ Ismaila Sarr, out of Crystal Palace squad as he has agreed personal terms with Galatasaray and wants to join the Turkish club.No club to club agreement as #CPFC want to keep Sarr but Ismaila keeps pushing for the move.Sage indicated on Friday Sarr was gonna play.
The contrasting reports leave Sarr’s immediate future uncertain, with Palace keen to retain a player who was central to their success last season.
Sarr produced the best goalscoring campaign of his Palace career last season, scoring 21 goals and adding two assists in 45 appearances across competitions.
Nine of those goals came in 28 Premier League matches. He was even more influential in the Conference League, where he finished as the competition’s leading scorer with nine goals and was named player of the tournament.
His performances also saw him equal a notable record for Crystal Palace during the campaign.
Sarr then carried that form into the 2026 World Cup with Senegal. He scored four times and provided one assist at the tournament, becoming Senegal’s leading goalscorer in World Cup history.
That combination of club and international performances has increased interest in his services, with Galatasaray now attempting to bring him to Turkey.
The Turkish transfer window remains open until 4 September, giving Galatasaray time to continue negotiations with Palace.
Should the Turkish champions agree to pay more than £50m, Sarr would become the second most expensive player in Galatasaray’s history. Only Victor Osimhen, who joined the club for €75m, would have commanded a higher transfer fee.
For now, Palace remain firm on their valuation while Galatasaray work to find a way to complete the deal. With Sarr reportedly keen on the move and Manchester United also watching developments, the coming days could prove decisive for the Senegal forward’s future.
