Ismaïla Sarr
Ismaïla Sarr
Ismaïla Sarr (born 25 February 1998) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Watford and the Senegal national team.
Club career Sarr began his career with Génération Foot in his native Senegal, before moving to French club Metz in 2016. He made his debut for Metz on 13 August 2016, in a 3–0 defeat to Lille. He scored his first goal for the club on 21 January 2017, in a 1–0 win over Nancy.
In the 2017–18 season, Sarr scored 5 goals in 34 appearances for Metz, helping the club to win promotion to Ligue 1. He made his Ligue 1 debut on 11 August 2018, in a 1–0 win over Strasbourg. He scored his first Ligue 1 goal on 16 September 2018, in a 3–1 defeat to Marseille.
In the 2018–19 season, Sarr scored 13 goals in 34 appearances for Metz. He was named the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year for his performances.
On 8 August 2019, Sarr joined Premier League club Watford for a fee of £30 million. He made his debut for Watford on 17 August 2019, in a 1–0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. He scored his first goal for the club on 24 August 2019, in a 3–1 defeat to West Ham United.
In the 2019–20 season, Sarr scored 5 goals in 30 appearances for Watford. He was named the Watford Player of the Season for his performances.
On 30 September 2020, Sarr joined Manchester United on a season-long loan. He made his debut for Manchester United on 17 October 2020, in a 4–1 defeat to Liverpool. He scored his first goal for the club on 24 October 2020, in a 5–0 win over RB Leipzig.
In the 2020–21 season, Sarr scored 2 goals in 12 appearances for Manchester United. He returned to Watford at the end of the season.
International career Sarr made his debut for the Senegal national team on 28 March 2017, in a 2–0 friendly win over Ivory Coast. He scored his first goal for the team on 13 June 2019, in a 3–0 friendly win over Kenya.
Sarr was a member of the Senegal squad that won the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He was named the Player of the Tournament for his performances.
Personal life Sarr is a Muslim. He is married to Rokia Traore and they have two children together.
Honours Senegal Africa Cup of Nations: 2021
Individual Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2018–19 Watford Player of the Season: 2019–20 Africa Cup of Nations Player of the Tournament: 2021
