Ismaila Sarr has been a gossip column staple for a number of months now.

The Watford winger has continually been linked with a move to a bigger club since the Hornets relegation to the Championship.

A number of Premier League clubs are said to hold an interest in signing the 22-year-old, who has been in fine form in the second-tier.

He has scored five goals and laid on six assists in 24 Championship games this season and his agent has now revealed that he could have moved to Manchester United in the summer.

Sport Witness carry the quotes from Thierno Seydi, who gave an interview to Panafricanfootball earlier this week.

United, of course, were desperate to sign a winger in the summer, having spent the majority of the transfer window chasing the elusive signature of Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.

Seydi 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.”

Sarr has won 32 caps for Senegal and is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt.

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

One can understand why Watford didn’t go for this.

You’ve got one of the biggest clubs in world football knocking on the door, fresh from a pursuit in which they were quoted over £100m for Sancho, and they offer to pay pretty much nothing for a key player.

For Watford, that wouldn’t have added up at all.

It also would have given them no cash, and no time, to reinvest and bring in a replacement.

If United really do want Sarr, they will absolutely have to up their bid.