Liverpool Strike Terms with PSG Starlet Ibrahim Mbaye
Liverpool’s chase for Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola has taken a sharp twist – and it now runs straight through his team-mate Ibrahim Mbaye.
The Merseyside club have been locked in talks for Barcola all summer, with the World Cup star long identified as a marquee attacking signing. But PSG’s insistence on a nine-figure fee has stalled progress and forced Liverpool to widen their options rather than wait indefinitely.
FourFourTwo understands Liverpool have already agreed a contract with Barcola, yet the very real threat of the deal collapsing has pushed them towards an alternative in-house at the Parc des Princes.
Mbaye deal lined up
RMC Sport report that Liverpool have now agreed terms with Ibrahim Mbaye, striking a five-year deal with the highly rated Senegalese teenager. The Barcola negotiations remain active, but Liverpool are no longer putting all their plans on hold while PSG drag their feet.
Instead, they are pressing ahead on a parallel track. Mbaye is not just a fallback – he is being actively pursued alongside Barcola, giving Liverpool two live options from the same PSG frontline.
Both Barcola and Mbaye are understood to be open to a Premier League move, with the route into the Liverpool side under Andoni Iraola seen as more navigable and the internal competition less suffocating than at PSG.
PSG’s attacking reshuffle
The French champions have been busy reshaping their attack. Goncalo Ramos has departed to join Ruben Amorim at Milan, while PSG have moved quickly to bring in World Cup final hero Ferran Torres and Ajax prospect Mika Godts to reinforce their forward line.
Last season, first-choice trio Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele combined for 52 goals in all competitions. Barcola added 13, with Mbaye contributing three.
Barcola featured more than any other attacker across Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Champions League, yet he and Mbaye largely operated as backup options. Luis Enrique leaned on a clear formula for the biggest games, rotating his stars to keep them fresh for decisive European nights.
Dembele himself started only 10 league matches for the eventual French champions, underlining PSG’s commitment to depth and managed minutes. That approach has only intensified this summer, as they stack options behind their headline names.
Liverpool’s right-side puzzle
At Anfield, the picture on the flanks is shifting fast. Liverpool have so far added only Spanish winger Victor Munoz to their forward line, a modest reinforcement compared to the scale of the hole left by the departure of club icon Mohamed Salah.
On the left, there is no shortage of options. Munoz, Rio Ngumoha, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz can all operate off that flank, giving Iraola a crowded but flexible stable of left-sided threats.
The right is a different story. That is where Mbaye comes into focus. The Senegalese teenager profiles as a potential solution on that side, offering Liverpool a fresh, developmental option rather than a like-for-like superstar replacement.
For now, the Barcola saga rumbles on and Mbaye waits in the wings. Liverpool have made their move with both. The question is simple: which PSG youngster walks out at Anfield first?
