Ismaila Sarr's Situation at Crystal Palace: Morrison's Insights
Ismaila Sarr has vanished from Crystal Palace’s matchday picture under new boss Pierre Sage. Officially, it’s a groin problem. Unofficially, there’s a sense of bridges singed, if not completely burned, after a failed move to Liverpool.
Right now, he’s training on his own. Not with the group. Not in contention. Just waiting – and hoping – that January offers a way out.
Clinton Morrison, who knows Selhurst Park as well as anyone, can’t quite believe how messy it has all become.
Speaking to GOAL, the former Palace striker said of Sarr’s situation: “I don't know what's going on because I just thought he genuinely did have an injury. And I think the manager has come out and said he's got an injury. He's training individually. He's not ready to train with the squad.”
The Liverpool saga hangs over everything. A club of that size calls, and heads turn. Morrison understands that part.
“I get it. Liverpool come in for you, you want to move,” he said. “But go about it the right way because eventually you will get the move. That's what I've always said to people.”
Right now, Palace insist Sarr is injured. Morrison is inclined to believe them.
“At the moment, Palace say he's injured. So I believe what Palace say because I know people there. He's injured. He's training individually. So we'll wait and see.”
The narrative around Sarr has been that he downed tools when the transfer didn’t happen. Morrison isn’t having that simplification, but he doesn’t deny the disappointment.
“If people are thinking he's not training because he wanted to get his move - yeah, he's disappointed he didn't get his move,” he admitted. Then came the comparison with other Palace stars who have ridden out similar storms.
“Marc Guehi, loads of times he didn't get his move. [Eberechi] Eze didn't get his move. Eventually, you'll get your move. Handle the situation differently.”
That last line lands hard. This, in Morrison’s eyes, is about approach and timing as much as ambition.
He also pointed to the stance of Palace chairman Steve Parish, who has rarely stood in the way of a fair move – provided the timing suits the club.
“I know one thing, the chairman will let you have that move for sure. But because you come in so late with the bid, the chairman can't afford the top goalscorer to leave the football club and leave the club hanging on by a thread to stay in the Premier League. They've got to look after themselves.”
Palace’s position is simple: survival first, sales second. Lose your main goal threat at the wrong moment and the entire season can unravel.
Sarr, though, is fixated on Liverpool. That carries its own risk.
“So if someone wants to move to Liverpool, he can't just sit there and wait because Liverpool might go, ‘well, we're going to get [Yankuba] Minteh’, who is a younger player. His move to Liverpool might not happen,” Morrison warned.
His advice is blunt, rooted in a striker’s reality: get fit, score goals, make yourself irresistible.
“What he should do is get back fit for Palace, score goals and then prove to people. And then in January, if everything's all right, he might get that move.”
The problem for Sarr is that Liverpool have not stood still.
Jurgen Klopp’s side, still keen on Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh after having a £65 million bid rejected, strengthened heavily out wide in the summer. They brought in £123 million Champions League winner Bradley Barcola and highly rated Spaniard Victor Munoz. They kept Cody Gakpo and want to give serious minutes to 18-year-old Rio Ngumoha.
With that depth, Sarr’s window may be narrowing by the week.
Morrison knows Liverpool’s profile and needs, but he also knows the reality of the market.
“I know they want a right-sided player. And their number one was Minteh. And Brighton knocked them back. They offered £65 million,” he said.
Sarr’s desire is obvious. The timing isn’t.
“I know Sarr wants that move there - I get it, it's Liverpool Football Club. Everyone will want to go to Liverpool. But the move's not happened now. And the best thing to do is get your head down, get fit and play a big part in Palace doing well this season.”
While Sarr wrestles with his future, another Palace forward has found himself at the centre of a very different storm.
Mateta row adds to Selhurst tension
Jean-Philippe Mateta, the powerful France international who came close to joining AC Milan in January, is contesting the validity of a 12-month extension triggered in his contract. It’s an unusual dispute and one that has baffled Morrison.
“I don't get that with JP. And I know him really well. So it's a strange one,” he said. “I feel like he's being badly advised. It’s as simple as that, he's a good person. I've got a lot of time for JP. And I feel like he's getting badly advised.”
Mateta is currently sidelined but expected back soon.
“But one thing with JP is he's injured at the moment. He should be back in a week or a couple of weeks. When he's back, he'll give his all for that club,” Morrison insisted.
There’s evidence for that claim. When a move to AC Milan collapsed at the medical stage, Mateta didn’t sulk. He returned, scored, and even found the net in the Europa Conference League final.
“As you saw last season, when there was a lot of noise, he'd be leaving, could have gone to AC Milan. Obviously, it didn't happen with the medical. Came back, scored the goal in the Europa Conference League final.”
So Palace fans find themselves in a strange position. Two forwards, two sagas, one shared frustration.
“So obviously, there's two players that Palace fans are probably frustrated with at the moment - Sarr and Mateta,” Morrison said. “But I still think they are two players that will have a big impact for the club when they come back.”
That’s the crux of it. For all the noise, all the legal wrangling and transfer talk, Crystal Palace’s season may still hinge on whether Sarr and Mateta can put everything aside, pull on the shirt again, and turn tension into goals.
