Ismaila Sarr is now expected to remain at Crystal Palace after seeing his hopes of securing a dream transfer to Liverpool fade.
The Senegal international has yet to make an appearance for Palace this season, missing the defeats against Everton and Manchester City because of a groin problem.
That injury is also likely to keep the 28-year-old out of this weekend’s clash with Fulham. Despite that, questions over Sarr’s future have continued, with the forward previously pushing for a departure amid reported interest from both Liverpool and Galatasaray.
A move to Liverpool is no longer possible until the January transfer window, while Turkey’s transfer market remains open until Friday. However, Galatasaray’s chances of signing Sarr appear to have disappeared following the arrival of Rafael Leao.
Palace manager Pierre Sage addressed Sarr’s situation during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, acknowledging the disappointment surrounding the failed move.
“Like every bad situation, time does the job and we need time for that,” Sage said. “He needs time too. First of all, he needs to recover because he was and is injured.
“He is our player and we are happy with that.
“He has to digest for sure because it’s a dream for a lot of players to play with this kind of club [Liverpool]. He had a good opportunity, but in the end it didn’t work.
“If he wants to continue, you have to have a good season with us as he did last year. We know he needs time.”
Sage also responded to comments from Sarr’s agent, Diomansy Kamara, who had raised concerns about the treatment of African footballers following Lamine Camara’s failed Deadline Day move to Monaco.
“I don’t really agree with this position,” Sage added. “I just want to say that the club and the people here are respectful and we want the best for our club and players.”