Liverpool's Search for Mohamed Salah's Heir: Sarr vs. Mbaye
Liverpool’s search for Mohamed Salah’s heir has taken another sharp turn, with Brighton’s price hike for Yankuba Minteh forcing the club to look hard at two very different right-wing solutions: Ismaila Sarr and Ibrahim Mbaye.
Liverpool cool on Minteh as price spirals
Liverpool had lined Minteh up as a serious contender to fill the looming void on the right. Long admired since Arne Slot’s time in charge at Feyenoord, the Gambian winger was the subject of a £50 million opening bid to Brighton, followed by an improved £60m offer.
Brighton’s stance was clear: they expected around £70m. Liverpool were weighing up a third bid. Then the conversation changed.
During fresh talks, Brighton pushed the asking price to £80m. Multiple sources, including Fabrizio Romano and Ben Jacobs, now say Liverpool have effectively walked away, with the club “going cold” on the 22-year-old and switching their attention to “different options for the second winger” behind primary target Bradley Barcola.
The Minteh chase, for now, is on ice.
Sarr: the Anfield tormentor now in the frame
One of those “different options” is a familiar menace. Ismaila Sarr, currently at Crystal Palace, has tormented Liverpool for years. Seven goals and two assists in 10 games against the Reds across his Watford and Palace spells tell their own story. Anfield knows exactly what he can do.
Liverpool are now tracking him as they assess alternatives to Minteh. They are not alone.
Turkish journalist Nevzat Dindar reported on Saturday that Liverpool are “interested” in the Senegal international, with Galatasaray already pushing hard to sign him. Dindar outlined just how badly Okan Buruk wants the deal, highlighting Sarr’s ability to operate across the front line as a key reason for the Turkish champions’ determination.
Galatasaray’s desire is matched by Palace’s resistance. The London club are described as “extremely serious” about keeping Sarr, even as the player pushes for a move. According to Dindar, Sarr was left out of the squad at the weekend because he wants to leave.
The tug of war has drawn more eyes. Manchester United are also monitoring the situation as Galatasaray try to find a breakthrough with Palace.
The numbers are already on the table. Palace want at least £50m. Galatasaray are aiming significantly lower, between £30m and £43m. Liverpool, watching from the Premier League’s top table, know that if they move, they can change the entire dynamic of the deal.
And for many Liverpool supporters, the prospect is simple: better to see Sarr in red than lining up to hurt them again.
Mbaye: the 18-year-old already tied to Liverpool
The other live option is Ibrahim Mbaye at Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool have already done some of the groundwork here. A five-year contract has been agreed with the 18-year-old, and talks have taken place with PSG over a transfer.
The sticking point is price. Reports vary wildly, from £43m to as high as £60m, and that uncertainty has kept the deal in a holding pattern.
On Tuesday, Ben Jacobs set out where Liverpool stand with both Minteh and Mbaye. He revealed that Liverpool held talks over Minteh at the weekend and were, at that stage, deciding whether to go back in with a third offer.
Jacobs reported that, according to Brighton sources, a £70m bid would seal the deal. His sense was that Liverpool might first consider £65m, but that any further bid would be “almost a final bid” because of the presence of other options such as Mbaye.
PSG, though, want €70m (around £59.8m) for Mbaye — effectively the same level as Minteh. Liverpool are staring at two young right wingers, both exciting, both expensive, both sitting in the same financial bracket.
The expectation, as Jacobs put it, is that Liverpool’s window ends with “Barcola plus one.” The identity of that “one” — the proven Premier League destroyer in Sarr, or the teenage PSG talent Mbaye — will say a lot about how bold Liverpool want to be in reshaping life after Salah.
