Liverpool's Pursuit of PSG's Mbaye: A Shift in Focus
Liverpool’s search for one more attacking spark has taken them back to Ligue 1 – but the picture around PSG youngster Mbaye is far less advanced than it first appeared.
French journalist Romain Molina has poured cold water on talk of a full-blown Liverpool push for the forward, making it clear the 19-year-old is admired at Anfield but not driving their late-window plans.
“Truthfully, Mbaye is on Liverpool’s shortlist but not as the No. 1 choice,” Molina said, underlining that the club see him as an option rather than a priority as the clock ticks down on the summer market.
Mendes factor shapes Mbaye’s future
The dynamic around Mbaye is being framed less by Liverpool’s desire and more by the strategy of his agent, Jorge Mendes. Molina stressed that any move could hinge on where Mendes chooses to exert his considerable influence.
“Mendes knows very well that at the end of the transfer window there will be something for Mbaye, so he will use the clubs where he has the most influence to make things move,” Molina explained.
In other words, Mbaye’s next step may be decided in boardrooms where Mendes holds sway, not purely on the basis of Liverpool’s interest. And Anfield is not one of his strongest power bases right now, especially with PSG’s asking price looming large.
“That’s not where he’s most influential, especially with the price currently being asked by Paris Saint-Germain,” Molina noted.
Barcola the priority in PSG double chase
The contrast with Mbaye’s teammate Barcola is stark. While Mbaye sits further down the list, Liverpool are understood to be pushing harder for Barcola, whose camp operates very differently.
Barcola is represented by Moussa Sissoko, and Molina highlighted the gulf in approach between the two agents.
“That’s where you see the difference between the two agents. For Mendes it’s not so much the player’s wishes that count, it’s where he has connections with the executives to make things move how he wants. With [Sissoko] it’s the opposite. Even if it means clashing with clubs, even if it means going hard. He wants to go to war for his players."
That shift in emphasis matters. While Mendes is playing the long game with Mbaye, Sissoko is pushing directly for what his client wants, which aligns more closely with a club like Liverpool trying to move quickly before the deadline.
Yet any dream of a double swoop on Paris comes with a brutal financial sting. PSG are expected to demand a combined fee in excess of £150m for the two youngsters – a figure that forces even a club of Liverpool’s stature to pause.
Alternatives lined up if Mbaye deal stalls
If Mbaye stays out of reach – whether because of cost, timing, or his place on Liverpool’s list – the recruitment department is already working through other names.
- Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh
- Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo
- Bournemouth’s Rayan
have all been monitored as wide options, giving Liverpool a spread of profiles and price points as they weigh up their final move.
Another name gaining traction is Köln forward Said El Mala. The versatile attacker, comfortable on either wing or through the middle, had been strongly linked with Borussia Dortmund earlier in the window.
That path has now opened up. Reports from Sky Germany say Dortmund have pulled out of the race, potentially leaving Liverpool with a clear run if they decide El Mala fits the bill and choose to trigger his reported €50m (£42.7m) release clause.
Big decisions, little time
Molina’s latest information points towards a pragmatic stance at Anfield. Mbaye is on the radar, but the scale of the deal and Mendes’ leverage could nudge Liverpool towards another, currently unnamed, attacking target.
The ambition to refresh the frontline is obvious. The question now is where Liverpool place their final bet as the deadline looms and the last major attacking decision of their summer comes into focus.
