Failed Liverpool, Chelsea transfers for Ismaila Sarr, Lamine Camara sparks furious statement from agent

The agent of Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr and Monaco’s Lamine Camara has issued an impassioned statement after transfers for his clients to Liverpool and Chelsea respectively failed to materialise on Deadline Day.

Liverpool allegedly held several rounds of discussions over a proposed deal for Sarr, who did not make himself available for either of Palace’s opening two Premier League games of the new season as he tried to force through a move to Anfield.

However, Liverpool’s highest offer in the region of £50m was swiftly rejected by Palace, who had no intention of selling their top scorer from last season so late in the window.

The Reds had already completed the attacking signings of Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola, but their failure to sign Sarr forced them to deny a late exit for Cody Gakpo, who had attracted interest from both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Meanwhile, Chelsea were seemingly on course to sign midfielder Camara from Monaco after a €55m (£47m) deal was agreed in writing between both clubs on Deadline Day.

The 22-year-old completed a medical in France, but his transfer collapsed at the eleventh hour after Monaco had a change of heart and decided to pull the plug on the deal.

Monaco are understood to have pulled out because they had successfully renegotiated a deal to sell striker Folarin Balogun to Everton, only for the USA international to perform a remarkable U-turn at the last minute.

Despite this, Chelsea sanctioned the record-breaking £125m sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City after the Blues had already 'given their word' to both the player and the Citizens.

“Our African players deserve respect" - Sarr, Camara agent breaks silence after failed transfers

Now that the summer transfer window has slammed shut, agent Diomansy Kamara has vented his frustration at how both deals collapsed, calling for more respect towards African footballers.

A statement read: “The cases of Ismaila Sarr and Lamine Camara must all interrogate us.

“We have to get out of this logic where the African player can sometimes give the feeling that he is just a commodity: you buy it, you set its price, you negotiate its future and, too often, your will seems to go to the background.

“Our African players deserve respect. The respect of their work. The respect of their career. Respecting their ambitions. The respect of their voices.

“A transfer shouldn't just be a matter of two clubs and numbers. Behind every contract, there's a man, a career, dreams and life choices.

“The fact that clubs can sometimes have the final word is a reality of professional football. But one question remains: what about the career and the will of the player?

“The player must be able to be heard and respected in the decisions that determine his future.

“Let's never forget what's important: behind every success, it's the players who write history first.”

What next for Sarr at Palace and Camara at Monaco?

It remains to be seen what the future holds for both Sarr and Camara, and whether they still have futures at Crystal Palace and Monaco respectively.

The possibility for Sarr, in particular, to leave Selhurst Park remains as Galatasaray may consider reigniting their interest in the Senegal international having previously had bids knocked back for the attacker.

The Turkish transfer window closes on Friday night, giving Galatasaray a couple of days to consider making a late swoop for Sarr, who was allegedly open to joining the Super Lig champions before Liverpool entered the race.

However, Palace are likely to maintain their stance on Sarr that he is not for sale at any price, given that they cannot sign a replacement, with head coach Pierre Sage tasked with reintegrating him into his first-team plans.

As for Camara, he was allegedly left ‘raging’ after seeing his move to Chelsea fall through, while the player’s camp and the Blues believe that Monaco have acted in an ‘unprofessional’ manner.

Both Sarr and Camara still have three years remaining on their contracts at their respective clubs.