Gennaro Gattuso reluctant to sell Ismaïla Sarr

According to RMC Sport, Gennaro Gattuso is reluctant to see Ismaïla Sarr (25) leave ahead of the looming transfer deadline. 

The winger will return to Olympique de Marseille after Senegal’s elimination from the African Cup of Nations to the hosts Côte d’Ivoire, where it was expected that he would be swiftly moved on before the end of the transfer window on Thursday. 

Marseille have been actively looking to sell the player and have garnered interest from Nottingham Forest and Villarreal, with the Spanish club even producing an opening offer for the Senegalese international. 

Is Gattuso’s intervention enough? 

However, these plans now look like they could be scuppered, due to a combination of Sarr being unwilling to leave the club in the middle of the season and a last-minute intervention from the Marseille manager. 

Despite, not featuring prominently since Gattuso was appointed midseason, the manager is thought to be a huge fan of the winger’s profile and thinks that he will be a crucial component of the side’s attack in the future. 

The manager believes that Sarr provides an interesting option on the right-hand side of a 4-3-3 with Luis Henrique on the left. And following a meeting with the club hierarchy at the end of last week, Gattuso may even have convinced Marseille to reconsider their position unless a substantial offer comes in before the deadline. 

GFFN | Nick Hartland