Back in the summer transfer window, Manchester United needed a winger.
The number one target had always been Jadon Sancho, but with Borussia Dortmund playing hardball, the club had to turn to other options.
Eventually landing on both Facundo Pellistri and Amad Diallo, the Premier League side also looked at Ismaïla Sarr, contracted to Championship side Watford.
An offer was even made, but United’s reluctance to meet demands with their loan bid scuppered the deal.
That’s according to the player’s agent, Thierno Seydi, who spoke to Panafricanfootball on Wednesday.
He said: “During the summer, the Manchester club wanted to sign the Senegalese forward. At the last moment, they offered a loan without an option, which Watford didn’t accept because the loan was expected to be accompanied by an option with right of first refusal for the Manchester club”.
This would have meant that had Manchester United signed Sarr on that loan deal, any club bidding for the Watford player would have had their offer disclosed to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, who would have then been allowed to decide whether or not they wanted to bid themselves.
That never went through, however, and the forward ended up staying at Vicarage Road, where he has scored five goals and assisted another six in 24 league appearances.
