Liverpool's Search for Wingers: Sarr vs Mbaye
Liverpool have pulled the plug on a move for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh and are now weighing up Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr and Paris Saint-Germain youngster Ibrahim Mbaye as they hunt a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool walk away from Minteh
For weeks, Minteh had looked like the preferred option. Liverpool’s admiration stretches back to Arne Slot’s earlier interest, and the club tested Brighton’s resolve with a £50 million bid, then £60m.
Brighton held firm.
The internal expectation around the deal was that £70m would be enough to get it done. Liverpool even considered a third offer at that level. But a new round of talks changed the landscape. Multiple sources, including Fabrizio Romano and Ben Jacobs, report that Brighton pushed the price up again, demanding £80m.
That was the breaking point.
Romano says Liverpool have “gone cold” on Minteh and are now “exploring different options for the second winger” to follow their pursuit of Bradley Barcola. The strategy has shifted: the money is there, but not at any price.
Sarr: the Premier League menace who loves facing Liverpool
One of those “different options” is a familiar tormentor.
Ismaila Sarr, currently at Crystal Palace, has carved out a reputation as a Liverpool slayer. Across his spells at Watford and Palace, the Senegal international has hit seven goals and two assists in just 10 games against the Reds. Anfield knows his name for all the wrong reasons.
Now, Liverpool are looking at him from the other side.
Turkish journalist Nevzat Dindar revealed on Saturday that Liverpool are “interested” in Sarr, setting up the possibility of a three-way battle with Galatasaray and Manchester United. Dindar also claimed Sarr was left out of the Palace squad because he wants to leave, while stressing just how determined Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk is to land him.
Galatasaray’s intent is clear. Palace’s stance is just as firm.
Our information is that Palace want at least £50m for Sarr. Galatasaray, by contrast, are trying to drive the price down into the £30-43m bracket. United, monitoring from the sidelines, are keeping close tabs as the Turkish champions push for a breakthrough.
Liverpool, watching all this unfold, know exactly what Sarr could bring. Pace. Direct running. A proven record in the Premier League – and, crucially, a track record of hurting them rather than helping them. Their fans would far rather see him in red than lining up against them again.
Mbaye: the 18-year-old already tied to Liverpool
If Sarr offers experience and a ready-made Premier League profile, Ibrahim Mbaye represents something different: a long-term project with a contract already mapped out.
Liverpool have agreed a five-year deal with the 18-year-old PSG winger and have held talks with the French champions about a transfer. The framework is there. The problem is the price.
Reports vary wildly on Mbaye’s valuation. Some suggest PSG want around £43m. Others say it could be as high as £60m. Either way, it puts him in the same financial bracket as Minteh.
Ben Jacobs shed more light on Liverpool’s thinking on Tuesday. He revealed that over the weekend Liverpool held fresh talks over Minteh and debated whether to go back in with a third bid.
“If they go to £70m, it’ll be a done deal, according to Brighton sources,” Jacobs said. His sense was that Liverpool might first consider £65m, but any new offer would effectively be a final throw, given the strength of their alternatives – Mbaye among them.
PSG, though, are holding out for €70m (around £59.8m). That figure puts Mbaye right alongside Minteh in cost. Two wingers, similar price range, very different profiles.
Jacobs summed up the situation bluntly: Liverpool’s expectation is “Barcola plus one.”
The only question now is which “one” they decide is worth the gamble – the Premier League destroyer in Sarr, or the teenage talent in Mbaye who already has a five-year deal waiting for him.
