Crystal Palace are still interested in striking a deal for Watford winger Ismaila Sarr ahead of the January transfer window, according to journalist Ed Aarons who spoke to Give Me Sport.

The 24-year-old is currently away with Senegal at the World Cup and is in line to start against England this evening, giving him another opportunity to impress in Qatar as he potentially looks to put himself in the shop window.

Although there has been a lot of media attention on Sheffield United's Iliman Ndiaye, Sarr has also been heavily involved for Aliou Cisse's side throughout the tournament and will be hoping to advance to the quarter-finals following his meeting with the Three Lions.

Recording six goals and three assists in 17 league appearances this season, the winger is already showing his class in the second tier and could potentially spend the remainder of the campaign at Vicarage Road despite arguably deserving a move to the Premier League.

Aston Villa were close to sealing an agreement for him during the previous window before the move broke down due to personal terms - and it's currently unclear whether the club will continue to pursue him following their change in manager.

One team that are still interested in him though are Palace, according to Aarons.

He said: "We talked about Villa last time, and Palace are still interested in him.

"But his contract’s coming to an end, I think it ends in 2024. So, there could be a good deal for somebody coming up."

The Verdict:

Palace have had success in the transfer market when they have recruited from the EFL before, with Ebere Eze and Michael Olise becoming important first-teamers at Selhurst Park.

And it feels as though we are yet to see the best of the latter who will only get better as he gets older, though he needs game time and to avoid injury setbacks if he wants to fulfil his potential.

Malcolm Ebiowei and Luke Plange also came from the EFL and although neither have become regular starters at this point, their presence could be important for the Eagles in the future.

Ebiowei looked to be a real talent for Derby last season and could benefit from a loan spell away from his current club, something that could potentially allow Sarr to come in and make a real difference.

Sarr has already proven his worth at the top level so this feels like a low-risk signing for Patrick Vieira - but it remains to be seen whether they have enough money to make a deal happen.

The Hornets seemed to be happy to cash in on him in the summer considering the Villa deal made its way to an advanced stage.