Ismaila Sarr’s impending new contract at Crystal Palace could be what saves Pierre Sage from the sack this season.
Sage has come under fire at Palace for their struggles on and off the pitch since the start of this campaign.
The French boss has reportedly dealt with fallouts in the dressing room over tactics since arriving in the summer, while Palace currently sit 15th in the Premier League.
His job is believed to be at risk if they continue to toil after the international break, but Sarr could change things entirely.
The 28-year-old has the quality to turn the Eagles’ form around under Sage and keep him in the Selhurst Park dugout for the foreseeable future.
Sarr’s future has been uncertain after he was close to leaving in the summer, but he is set to commit his prime years to the club as a long-term contract extension edges ever closer.
Ismaila Sarr could rediscover top form as Crystal Palace contract standoff ends
Sarr bagged 21 goals in 45 appearances last season as he helped fire Palace to Conference League glory.
He was targeted by several top sides across Europe over the summer after such a strong campaign, with the Eagles rejecting a £50million bid from Liverpool.
Sarr threw his toys out of the pram towards the end of the window and reportedly declined to feature under Sage before the deadline passed as he angled for a move to Galatasaray.
He failed to secure a move away from South London and has since returned to the Palace squad, with appearances from the bench against Lech Poznan and Leeds.
Sources have now revealed to Football Insider that Sarr is ready to sign a new long-term deal at Palace after positive talks with Sage and Steve Parish.
Such huge news will be music to the ears of the French boss, who has severely missed the Senegalese forward’s quality in the early parts of the campaign.
His job prospects look a lot brighter with Sarr happy and focused on the future, and the 28-year-old could be the catalyst to help Palace move up the table in the coming months.
What has Parish said about Sarr’s failed move and Palace future?
Palace fans have criticised Sarr and even booed him on his return to action against Poznan last month.
Eagles co-owner and chairman Parish recently spoke at length to The Athletic about what happened with the 28-year-old in the summer and what could happen now that his situation has calmed down.
He said: “It’s unfortunate with Ismaila, but that wasn’t really a situation that was of our doing. A club (Liverpool) came in and, with the amount of money they bid, they couldn’t seriously think in that market it was going to get done at that level, and then they didn’t come back in for him.
“You could understand Ismaila would have liked to go and if it wasn’t five days before the end of the window and the money was right, then we would have tried to facilitate it.
He went on to urge fans to stay positive about Sarr and fellow exit-linked Palace man Jean-Philippe Mateta, saying: “Fans need to understand these guys are 100 per cent focused on doing their job. I would counsel everybody to worry about these things a bit less and give them all the love they deserve for what they do.
“Hopefully we can work to find a good conclusion for those players, whatever that is – contracts or moves.”
