We first reported on Newcastle’s interest in Rennes attacker Ismaila Sarr two years ago when he was just 19 years old.
As recently as last month, there were also reports that Newcastle would bid as much as £26.6m for the now twenty-one-year-old. That however never came to fruition.
While speaking at the unveiling of new €10m signing Flavien Tait yesterday, Rennes President Olivier Létang gave an update on Ismaila Sarr.
“With Ismaila, there is a type of gentlemen’s agreement but we need all the conditions to be right, and they are not at the moment, if at a level (that we like) something is offered to us, we will have the capacity to accept it.”
The right conditions we believe are referencing Rennes valuation of the player which is believed to be as high as £36.6m. The only reported bid that has come in thus far for Sarr is from Watford who had their bid of £26.6m turned down by the French club.
Ismaila Sarr– will cost money but Newcastle are in dire need
Ismaila Sarr is a definite talent. He has has already made 21 appearances for Senegal where he is currently on international duty in the African Cup of Nations.
His record at Rennes is fantastic appearing 77 times for the club with 18 goals and 16 assists.
This past season, he played 50 games in all competitions with 13 goals and 11 assists playing both on the right wing and a bit at striker.
Born in Saint Louis, Senegal, he started his career at Senegalese football academy Generation Foot which also produced former Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse and the player Sarr is most often compared to, Sadio Mane.
This is the type of talent that Newcastle should be going for but never will. His blistering pace on the opposite flank of Miguel Almiron would be a real threat to defenses.
Without Salomon Rondon or Ayoze Perez this season, Newcastle are going to have to bring in three to four attackers as they were already short last season. An injury to Rondon would have left the club with just Joselu last year.
Newcastle are again behind in their recruitment and will soon run out of options as players who are available are snapped up. They then may have to overpay for players who clubs have no intention of parting with especially if it is left real late in the window.
The lack of any planning by Ashley and Charnley have left this club in peril. With no manager and no signings, this summer has delved into the realm of the ridiculous.
Whoever Ashley brings in to manage the club, he will have to back him with class players. Class players cost money but Ismaila Sarr would be a step in the right direction.
98 comments so far
toon22
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:08 PM
Comment #1Who’s going to sign him ?
HarryConkers
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:09 PM
Comment #2Why do we all have a meltdown as soon as theres no official news?
Any positive rumours are rubbish, negative rumours are fact.
I think the takeover is still on. BZG have the funds (which will have been in escrow already by this stage). Delay is still FA, I would imagine signed off this week.
Any manager stories are absolute nonsense- media, and others, playing games and profiting from it.
toon22
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:10 PM
Comment #3So Jabba thinks he can just go on like before
Like nothing’s happened ?
We’re happy sitting back and watch him dismantle our club for his own personal gain ?
G
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:11 PM
Comment #4Decent player, no way hes joining this circus
Markaccus
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:11 PM
Comment #5Starting to see a few digs in here. It’s a shame since all fans and follows need to be on the same page. Picking at things you personally find too positive or too negative, or digging at people who gave a chance to a player who turned out to be rubbish is only going to be divisive. Try and be united.
danishmag
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:14 PM
Comment #6Who cares anymore?
Every other fan outside Newcastle in the PL must be sitting and clapping their hands, reading of what goes on in the North..
Every club in the buttom of the PL, knows there will be only two spots to avoid in the delegation battle, because one club is going down for sure!
What a joke, that the club does NOTHING, to let its thousands of fans know what is happening.
hibbit the armchair fan
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:14 PM
Comment #7Markaccus
divide and conquer
*it work every time*
toon22
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:15 PM
Comment #8As you can be sure
Jabba thinks he can just keep on doing this until he likes
Forever if need be
danishmag
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:16 PM
Comment #9#Relegation
#boycott Arsenal
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:19 PM
Comment #10So if Bruce is hired it will be the third lower league manager Ashley has hired, none of them would be given another shot at managing in the PL again unless they managed to get a club promoted which none of them seemed able to do, they all share one common trait, desperate to manage in the PL under any conditions. Maybe Bruce will see sense and decide it’s far too toxic.
Markaccus
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:21 PM
Comment #11Also, I think a few of you misunderstood lesh earlier.
When he said “Ashley won’t have taken a penny from the club”, I believe he was talking theoretically. With creative accountancy, the books will not sho him as “taking” anything. But far from defending Ashley, he was rather highlighting just how devious he is, and laying all the blame firmly at his door. People need to think before.
Markaccus
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:21 PM
Comment #12Before jumping at other posters
#boycott Arsenal
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:21 PM
Comment #13The takeover has been planned and stalled so that we don’t boycott next season with the call of it’ll be easier to sell in the PL so let’s get behind the team, he’s not going nowhere, it does a lot more damage to his brand to see crowds of 10K while in league one, he really doesn’t want that.
danishmag
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:21 PM
Comment #14I am done watching another minute while Ashley owns the club.
Its like playing in the School yard..
10 players ready to play..
Two who picks the teams, and normally one picks the first to be in his team, and then the other gets to pick two for his team..
In this case, The first to pick gets 5 players first, and Newcastle beeing the second to pick, gets the rest, but only picks 2 and finds a couple of fat Cowi, whom doesn’t play at all..
danishmag
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:23 PM
Comment #15Cowi = cows
Damn autocorrect ?????
hibbit the armchair fan
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:25 PM
Comment #16posada@144
well said mate,
if the takeover is off the table, i’m really hoping they appoint a hate figure someone the fans can really detest make there life hell both in and out of the ground, if Ashley not at games it should be open season on Charnley he’s had such an easy ride so far it’s now his turn to take some flak.
TomaKaThor
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:31 PM
Comment #17I havent got a problem with Bruce per say, i would gladly give Bruce a chance…if we had a new owner, its what Bruces appointment under Ashley represents, no takeover, back to square one, each season hoping to just surrvive. I wont be sticking around for it.
beefman13
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:32 PM
Comment #18We all want the takeover, this Steve Bruce craic just fuels the fire, SPEAK.
c-dog
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:33 PM
Comment #19If this goes through it’s proof Graham Carr is involved
Reilly
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:34 PM
Comment #20Mark Douglas
@MsiDouglas
·
19m
NEW: #nufc takeover stalls as club look to Bruce.
Novocastrian66
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:35 PM
Comment #21If there is a gentleman’s agreement then this player will not be rocking up at the Toon as there aren’t any gentlemen in charge at NUFC. They’re all scoundrels.
toon kk
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:38 PM
Comment #22The takeover was never on the table.
It’s a con. Ffs
danishmag
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:40 PM
Comment #23In 12 years only player has been brought in, for more than 16mil pounds..
Why for the love of god, do we constantly hear rumors of players linked to us for 20+ mil?
Its LIES!
Rotonda heights
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:42 PM
Comment #24toon kk
I think that has long been established now
hibbit the armchair fan
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:43 PM
Comment #25from the chronicle
After Rafa Benitez’s departure Newcastle are now widely believed to be targeting Steve Bruce, the Sheffield Wednesday manager, in a reflection of their desire to bring in someone with Premier League experience , broad enough shoulders to withstand the criticism and who can act as steadying influence in the dressing room.
But that is unlikely to pacify supporters and for all Bruce’s experience, his potential appointment will continue a logic-defying summer from the Magpies. Bruce is certainly no Joe Kinnear – players like him and his managerial CV is solid enough – but for a Premier League club who have just had one of the elite coaches in world football, it is a massive gamble to bring in someone that supporters will question from the off.
*to right we will*
Jib
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:44 PM
Comment #26c-dog
If this goes through it’s proof Graham Carr is involved
Do you just post the first thing that comes into your head ?
Rotonda heights
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:48 PM
Comment #27danish mag
totally with you bud, after 50 years I can’t condone this any more. Bruce is the final kick in the proverbials.
People like jib play the pseudo hard man and say he has no choice but to keep going to every home game. Of course you have a choice but I think some perverse people almost enjoy the grief ridden angst of following NUFC too much.
West Lancs Geordie
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:48 PM
Comment #28Does anyone know how long it took for the Premier League to sanction the Man City Takeover.?
Sad Frog II
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:51 PM
Comment #29Ashley terror must be stopped now! Enough is enough! Too many years, too many lies!
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:52 PM
Comment #30Football fans are a fantastic study in human behaviour, and paint such a clear picture of the way we process and digest news.
The best journalists are clear, concise and informative, but limit there audience to those who are either intelligent enough to comprehend there own and opposing views, or those who are strongly likeminded.
The cleverest keep news deliberately vague, allowing their audience to read into reports what they want to read into them.
The next rung down, are purely controversial, relying on that to sell.
The worst, work for Trinity Mirror…..
posada
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:52 PM
Comment #31Hibbit
To a degree I feel bad about having a go at fellow supporters.
They are good supporters it has to be said.
Where I sit about 40% would just blank you if you mentioned boycott. Like it would just not be taken in.
Yeah, some of them are getting on a bit.
As I say though how much will it take.
Also, if the support for an Arsenal boycott grows have they no sense of getting behind their fellow supporters.
For one game ?
West Lancs Geordie
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:53 PM
Comment #32Apparently Sheik Mansour bought Man City as a private individual and not through a limited company. I expect that would have speeded up matters.
Mag :P
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:54 PM
Comment #33Cdog.
Give over. Its definately not a scam.
You can be a serious buyer and still fail to purchase because the seller continuously mugs you off during negotiations.
Ashley has proven to be a unwilling seller regardless of what he has stated.
You really thing BZG would help Ashley in conning our fan base? Like I’m genuinely curious if you’re that stupid or if you’re having a laugh?
Some people on this blog man…
Sad Frog II
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:55 PM
Comment #34First boycott Arsenal, after that armband to all who wants A out in every game
Captain AmeriMag
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:55 PM
Comment #35Our one testicled friend Harry Conker is talking perfect sense here!
Hibbit and I have also been trying to stress that regardless of what the lazy journos have jumped all over as they have nothing else to report on:
STEVE BRUCE IS NOT OUR MANAGER!!!
Takeover break through soon and we can all get back to being nice to each other.
🙂
Mag :P
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:56 PM
Comment #36Sorry I meant toon kk.
Oops.
Reilly
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:57 PM
Comment #37Kaveh Solhekol
@SkyKaveh
·
9m
There were high-level talks last weekend between Manchester United and Newcastle United about Sean Longstaff. Newcastle won’t confirm there were talks but we understand Newcastle categorically not interested in selling Longstaff & and see him as a big part of their future plans
Mag :P
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:57 PM
Comment #38Reilly
So they aren’t all that daft then?
There are a few braincells it would seem.
naptoon
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:59 PM
Comment #39Another $hite day down the swaanny … theres always friday.
Reilly
Jul 10, 2019 at 6:59 PM
Comment #40More like never got the price they wanted.