Crystal Palace have made contact with Tottenham over Pape Matar Sarr as they look to add a new midfielder before Tuesday's 11pm transfer deadline. It is a late move that underlines how quickly the market has narrowed, with Palace now weighing up the Tottenham midfielder after other options failed to progress.
The enquiry comes at a time when Tottenham may need to sell one midfielder before the deadline, and Sarr has emerged as a player in demand. Palace are not alone in monitoring the situation, with Monaco and Nottingham Forest also interested in the Senegal international.
Palace turn to Sarr after other options stall
Palace had already explored alternatives earlier this summer. Monaco rejected a bid for Lamine Camara, talks with Auxerre over Kevin Danois did not materialise, and Chelsea are now close to an agreement with Monaco over Lamine Camara. That sequence has pushed Palace further down their list and made the search for a reliable midfielder increasingly urgent.
Sarr fits the profile of the kind of late-window target clubs often move for when time is short and competition is strong. At 48 hours from the deadline, the task is not just finding quality, but finding a deal that can be completed quickly enough to matter.
Tottenham's valuation and the wider market
Tottenham value Pape Matar Sarr at £35m, which gives the talks a clear starting point. That fee may also explain why the midfielder is attracting attention from more than one club, with Monaco and Nottingham Forest both remaining in the picture.
Earlier this summer, Tottenham spent £185m to sign Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, a level of investment that shows the scale of change around the squad. It also adds to the sense that a sale could still happen before Tuesday, especially if the club decide they have to balance the group before the deadline.
For Palace, the key question is whether they can move fast enough to turn contact into a formal deal. For Tottenham, the issue is whether they are prepared to let a midfielder go while the window is still open and interest remains active.
With the 11pm transfer deadline on Tuesday drawing closer, Pape Matar Sarr has become one of the names to watch in the final hours of the market. Crystal Palace have made their move, but Monaco and Nottingham Forest mean the race is not straightforward.
