Liverpool offered PSG teenager Ibrahim Mbaye as Barcola pursuit stalls
Liverpool have been offered the chance to sign a highly-rated PSG forward who has already earned glowing praise from Anfield legend Sadio Mané.
The Reds have been strongly linked with Bradley Barcola all summer, but Paris Saint-Germain appear determined to keep the 23-year-old Champions League winner. His reported €170 million valuation (£145m) underlines how serious the French champions are about retaining him.
One of Barcola’s teammates, however, looks far more attainable. According to Graeme Bailey of TEAMtalk, 18-year-old winger Ibrahim Mbaye has been offered to both Liverpool and Manchester City. There is a growing belief within the player’s camp that a move away from the Parc des Princes would benefit his long-term development.
Liverpool’s recruitment team have monitored Mbaye closely and continue to assess multiple wide options in the wake of Mohamed Salah’s departure two months ago. The teenager is not currently viewed as a primary target at Anfield.
Despite turning 18 only earlier this year, Mbaye has already made 42 first-team appearances for PSG, the majority as a substitute in a squad packed with attacking talent under Luis Enrique. He was part of the Senegal squad that reached the Africa Cup of Nations final in January (before CAF later awarded the trophy to Morocco). Then-coach Pape Thiaw called him a “phenomenon,” while Mané has described the youngster as “exceptional” with a “bright future.”
That endorsement from a former Liverpool favourite will certainly catch the attention of Reds supporters. Mbaye clearly possesses significant potential. Yet under Andoni Iraola, Liverpool’s more pressing need is for proven quality capable of immediately elevating the attack rather than another long-term project.
A move for the PSG teenager would not be dismissed out of hand, but targets such as Barcola or Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche better match the profile the club requires. With five weeks left in the transfer window, Richard Hughes still has time to address the gap on the flanks.
