Tottenham ‘working on Ismaila Sarr transfer’ after Man Utd ‘came extremely close’ to deal

Tottenham are now reportedly looking into the availability of Watford’s Ismaila Sarr as they target additional quality in attack. Spurs struck a £60million deal with Inter Milan for Argentinian international striker Lautaro Martinez last week but the move is now on ice due to Romelu Lukaku’s impending return to Chelsea.

Nonetheless, Spurs are refusing to lie down in the transfer market and they remain focused on strengthening their side with a number of marquee additions this summer, in an attempt to close the gap on the top-four and keep talisman, Harry Kane, at the club.

Cristian Romero became technical director Fabio Paratici’s third summer signing after former Atalanta team-mate Pierluigi Gollini and Spanish winger Bryan Gil last week but more new faces are set to follow him through the door.

Ideally, Spurs would like to add another defender, central midfielder and striker to their squad before the transfer window closes on August 31.

However, Tottenham are open to recruiting in other departments and Eurosport now claim that Spurs are exploring the possibility of signing jet-heeled Watford winger Sarr.

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Sarr decided to stick with Watford last term despite being relegated from the Premier League in his first season on English soil following his £20m switch from Rennes in 2019.

It was a decision that paid dividends as he struck 13 times to help fire the Hornets to promotion via second place in the Championship.

Yet things could have been very different for Sarr, who was actually the subject of official negotiations between Man United and Watford last summer, per the club’s former technical director Filippo Girardi.

“We were extremely close, I was personally negotiating with them [Manchester United],” Girardi told Fabrizio Romano on the Here We Go podcast.

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“We weren’t able to reach an agreement. Ismaila is still very young, he will arrive [in the Premier League] for sure.

“He missed probably an opportunity, but I think also for his football to stay here and get 10 goals and 10 assists, he’s deciding the league.

“I think for Watford in the condition they are at the moment it’s lucky he stayed.”

Liverpool also held formal discussions over Sarr, who is close friends with Sadio Mane, but the Reds decided to pursue the signing of Diogo Jota from Wolves instead.