Pape Matar Sarr wearing an Everton kit with Hill Dickinson Stadium in the background.

Pape Matar Sarr is looking to leave TottenhamManh Tung - Breaking Media Ltd

Pape Matar Sarr tells Tottenham he wants out amid Everton transfer news, Roberto De Zerbi responds

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Published on:

23 Aug 2026, 10:45 am

Everton have been handed a major boost in their bid to sign Tottenham midfielder Pape Matar Sarr.

It's been reported this week that Everton and Nottingham Forest are in the hunt to sign 23-year-old Sarr, who was not in the Spurs squad that lost 3-0 to Brentford on Saturday.

Tottenham reportedly value the Senegal international at around £30million.

Now, Sarr is edging even closer to a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after telling the North London club he wants to leave.

That puts Everton in a great position to continue bolstering up their midfield, having already signed Hayden Hackney and Christian Norgaard this summer from Middlesbrough and Arsenal, respectively.

Sarr has also made up his mind on where he wants to move to next.

Where Pape Matar Sarr wants to play next if Tottenham sell him

As well as having interest from Everton and Forest, Times Sport journalist Tom Allnutt reports that Galatasaray are also keen on the Senegalese midfielder.

Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Conor Gallagher have pushed Sarr down Roberto De Zerbi's pecking order and it is understood that the Spurs manager is willing to let the ex-Metz midfielder leave.

Allnutt adds that despite Galatasaray being an option for Sarr, he would rather stay in the Premier League.

Pape Matar Sarr has told Tottenham he wants to leave. With the arrivals of Tonali, Fernandes & Gallagher, Sarr wants to move for more game time. De Zerbi accepts his position. Galatasaray an option but PL clubs interested and Sarr would like to remain in England.
— Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) August 23, 2026

Clearly, that is great news for Everton if they're now willing to follow up their interest with an offer.

How Everton have protected Hayden Hackney as £16.5m payment plan revealed

Why do Everton want to sign Sarr?

This feels like a bit of a strange one.

Everton have already signed Hackney and Norgaard this summer and also have James Garner, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carlos Alcaraz, Tim Iroegbunam and Harrison Armstrong who can play in the middle of the park.

Armstrong was sublime as Everton opened their Premier League season by beating Crystal Palace 2-0 on Saturday, while Dewsbury-Hall scored and Hackney grabbed an assist.

The evidence so far suggests the Blues are fine in this area of the pitch.

They need a right-back, though, and nothing seems to be happening on that front at the moment.

Conor Gallagher