Liverpool Target Ibrahim Mbaye from PSG Amid Barcola Talks
Liverpool’s first major signing from Paris Saint-Germain this summer is expected to come from a different corner of the French champions’ attack – and it’s not Bradley Barcola.
Barcola has headlined Liverpool’s wish list since Mohamed Salah’s departure ended a nine-year era at Anfield. He remains a live target. Yet in France, the noise is growing around another name. According to RMC Sport, a deal for 18-year-old Senegalese striker Ibrahim Mbaye is now “expected” to reach an agreement.
For PSG, it is shaping into a ruthless, money-spinning window. The European champions have already banked close to €150 million from the exits of Kang-in Lee to Atletico Madrid, Goncalo Ramos to Milan and Randal Kolo Muani to Juventus. Mbaye could be the next lucrative sale in what is being framed as a “historic” summer of departures.
A crowded PSG attack – and a blocked pathway
Mbaye has two years left on his PSG contract and carries a strong reputation inside French football circles. He is viewed as one of the brightest young forwards in the country, but the reality of his situation in Paris is stark.
Luis Enrique’s attack is already packed, and PSG are still chasing another headline forward, with Julian Alvarez and Yan Diomande both pursued earlier in the window. With that level of traffic ahead of him, Mbaye’s route to regular starts looks foggy at best.
That is where Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen come in.
The teenager is valued at somewhere between €35m and €45m, a figure that instantly narrows the field of serious bidders. Both Liverpool and Leverkusen are firmly in the race and know they are shopping in the same aisle.
On one side, Canal+ journalist Olivier Tallaron has claimed on X that Leverkusen currently hold the edge. On the other, RMC Sport insist Liverpool’s project on Merseyside appeals strongly to Mbaye, who is intrigued by the idea of developing at Anfield in the next phase of his career.
Two narratives. One decision looming.
Barcola talks drag on
While Mbaye’s situation moves, Barcola’s remains stuck in negotiation.
RMC Sport report that discussions between Liverpool and PSG over the France international are ongoing, but “the two sides are currently far apart” in their valuations. PSG have set the price at over €150 million. Liverpool, wary of detonating their wage and fee structure in one move, are resisting any notion of breaking the bank.
“Between the price set by the Parisian club (over €150 million) and the Reds’ desire to avoid breaking the bank, a compromise will need to be found for the deal to go through,” the outlet states.
For now, there is no compromise. And that’s where Mbaye becomes even more interesting.
FourFourTwo understands that Liverpool’s pursuit of Mbaye is not simply a Plan B or a panic pivot from Barcola. The two moves are separate tracks. Barcola is primarily a left-sided option; Mbaye, by contrast, is seen mainly as a right-winger, even though both can operate on either flank and through the middle.
In theory, Liverpool could end up with both. The market, and PSG’s stance, will decide how ambitious that scenario really is.
Fitting the pieces around Iraola’s attack
The bigger question sits with how all of this fits into Andoni Iraola’s attacking jigsaw.
Liverpool already have Victor Munoz, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike as players comfortable operating from the left or drifting into central roles. None of them is nailed down as the definitive starter on that flank, through the middle, or in the pockets behind the striker. The front line is rich in talent but still fluid in structure.
The right side is even more intriguing. With Salah gone, there is a clear vacancy but no obvious heir. That role could fall to a new specialist like Mbaye. It could be patched by someone like Jeremie Frimpong or Dominik Szoboszlai, both of whom have featured there, with Szoboszlai spending spells on the right last season.
Iraola’s track record offers clues. At Bournemouth, he showed little interest in forcing inverted wingers for the sake of fashion. He was comfortable using a right-footed player on the right and a left-footer on the left. Alex Jimenez held down the right flank for long stretches, before Marcus Tavernier established himself as first choice on the left towards the end of the campaign.
That flexibility gives Liverpool room. They can sign a right-sided specialist without boxing themselves in tactically. Mbaye, with his ability to switch flanks and lead the line, fits neatly into that philosophy.
Now the decision rests with a teenager caught between two compelling projects and a selling club in full-on reset mode. Liverpool and Leverkusen are circling the same prize. PSG are counting the money already rolling in.
If Mbaye is the next to go, where he lands could shape not just his own rise, but the way Liverpool rebuild the right side of their attack in the first season after Salah.
