Newcastle United are continuing to monitor Watford winger Ismaila Sarr's situation but their interest isn't at an advanced stage yet, according to journalist Dean Jones who made this revelation to Give Me Sport.

The 24-year-old's 2021/22 campaign was disrupted by different injury setbacks but he still managed to record five goals and two assists in 22 Premier League appearances last term, a respectable total he would have wanted to build on next term.

However, the Hornets have been relegated to the Championship again and with that, the Senegal international is likely to be heavily linked with a move away from Vicarage Road again in the coming months.

Newcastle are one side thought to be keeping tabs on his situation ahead of the summer window with Eddie Howe likely to be backed by the Tyneside outfit's owners once more following a busy January transfer period.

He may potentially come in as a replacement for Allan Saint-Maximin who has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, though a deal is yet to be struck between the two parties for the Frenchman's services.

And the Magpies may not be making an approach for Sarr anytime soon judging by reporter Jones' comments, with the 24-year-old not looking as though he's at the top of their transfer priority list just yet.

He said: "They just won’t want to get into a price battle with Newcastle, who have got some interest in him.

"It’s not major interest right now, but they’re definitely looking at the situation, as they see him as a game-changer and somebody that’s probably a step-up from Saint-Maximin."

Crystal Palace and Everton are also thought to be monitoring the winger's situation, though it's currently unclear whether either will launch a formal bid for his services.

The Verdict:

Sarr did show loyalty to the cause when the Hornets were relegated at the end of the 2019/20 season but it remains to be seen whether he's prepared to play in the second tier once again considering his pedigree.

Having two years left on his contract though, this upcoming window is probably the perfect time for the Hornets to cash in on him because there are no guarantees they will get back to the top tier at the first time of asking again.

If they don't and he stays, he will only have 12 months left on his deal next summer and this will drastically lower his value, so they need to consider any sizeable bids that come in for him.

If they do cash in though, it will allow Rob Edwards to work with a much bigger budget and that can only be a good thing in his quest to make the changes he wants at Vicarage Road.

There are quite a few changes that need to be made if they are to recover from the unsuccessful Roy Hodgson era, so if they can sell the Senegal international quite early on in the window, that could enable Edwards to bring in some of his top targets this summer.

Watford may want to try and drag this saga out through the next couple of months to get themselves the best possible deal though.