Liverpool Secure Djylian N’Guessan for 2027
Liverpool have locked in their next big attacking prospect, with Fabrizio Romano delivering his trademark “here we go” on a deal for Saint-Etienne forward Djylian N’Guessan – while the club juggles a high-stakes end to the window involving Cody Gakpo and a frustrated chase for Ismaila Sarr.
Liverpool secure N’Guessan for 2027
The agreement for N’Guessan underlines Liverpool’s long-term planning in attack. The 18-year-old Saint-Etienne striker, regarded as one of the standout talents in Ligue 2, will officially join the Reds in the summer of 2027 after spending another season with the French side.
French outlet Foot Mercato, via journalist Santi Aouna, first revealed that Liverpool and Saint-Etienne were in “advanced negotiations” for the teenager, with only “last details to settle.” ASSE have been open about the likelihood of a departure for their young star, whose current deal runs until 2027, leaving the club with limited room to manoeuvre if serious offers arrive.
According to Aouna, Liverpool view N’Guessan as a major prospect for the future, with talks progressing quickly as the clock ticks towards the end of the window.
Romano then moved the story on. Posting on X, he confirmed that Liverpool have reached a full agreement with Saint-Etienne and the player, with the club already receiving authorization to conduct medical checks. The N’Guessan move follows the capture of Lucca Brughmans as another piece of Liverpool’s next-generation recruitment drive.
Crucially, the signing does not alter Liverpool’s immediate transfer strategy. The club still want at least one more senior attacking addition before the deadline.
Barcola in, Gakpo to City – if Liverpool get their winger
That short-term business is being shaped by a dramatic late-window domino.
Bradley Barcola is on the brink of arriving from PSG, having completed his medical on Sunday ahead of a big-money move. His arrival is expected to open the door for Cody Gakpo to leave Anfield – and head not to Tottenham, but to Manchester City.
Gakpo had been the subject of an £85m proposal from Spurs, but the Netherlands international has chosen City instead, with Romano revealing that Gakpo already has a contract agreement in place with the Premier League champions.
City have now sent an £85m bid to Liverpool. The deal, though, sits on a knife-edge.
Liverpool will only sign off on Gakpo’s exit if they secure a right winger before the deadline. No winger, no sale. The entire move rests on that condition.
Sarr the priority as Palace dig in
So who do Liverpool want? According to Romano, one name is clearly at the top of their list: Ismaila Sarr.
The Crystal Palace wide man has emerged as Liverpool’s preferred option ahead of Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh. Sarr is the “favourite candidate,” as Romano put it, and the player is keen. He wants the move. He wants Liverpool.
Palace, though, are holding firm.
Romano reports that Crystal Palace have already rejected a formal Liverpool bid worth £45m plus £5m in add-ons – a £50m package in total. The offer was made in writing, not just as a verbal enquiry, and was knocked back. Palace are currently refusing to sanction Sarr’s departure at that price.
Inside Selhurst Park, the stance is clear: they are not selling for that figure. At the same time, Palace are quietly scanning the market for potential replacements, just in case an acceptable proposal lands in the final hours.
For now, the two clubs are locked in a stand-off. Liverpool need a winger to free up Gakpo’s move. Sarr wants the switch. Palace want more money. Time is shrinking.
Market frenzy around Liverpool’s need
As Romano pointed out, Liverpool’s situation has turned them into a magnet for agents and clubs across Europe. With everyone aware that the Reds are in the market for a winger and sitting on a possible £85m sale, offers are flying in “every minute.”
Liverpool, though, have fixed their eyes on a specific profile and a specific player. N’Guessan is one for 2027. Barcola is about to walk through the door. Gakpo is ready to go to Manchester City.
Whether Ismaila Sarr becomes the final piece of this late-window chain now depends on how far Liverpool are willing to push – and how long Crystal Palace can afford to say no.
