Liverpool Signs Djylian N’Guessan for Future
Liverpool have locked in their next big attacking bet – and it’s one for the long game.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has delivered his trademark “here we go” on a deal for Saint-Etienne forward Djylian N’Guessan, with the 18-year-old set to join Liverpool in the summer of 2027.
Liverpool move early for N’Guessan
While the headlines swirl around Cody Gakpo and a possible £85m move to Manchester City, Liverpool have quietly tied down a prospect they believe can lead their line in years to come.
N’Guessan, who can operate across the front three or through the middle, will stay at Saint-Etienne for another season before making the switch to Anfield. Romano revealed that Liverpool have an agreement with the French club and the player, with authorization already granted for a medical.
“Liverpool agree deal to sign Djylian N’Guessan from Saint Etienne, here we go!” Romano posted on X, adding that the 18-year-old French striker will arrive in summer 2027 and describing the move as “another one for future,” following the deal for Lucca Brughmans.
The move had first been flagged by Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, who reported “advanced negotiations” between AS Saint-Etienne and Liverpool on X, noting that only “last details” remained. Writing for Foot Mercato, Aouna underlined that Saint-Etienne had effectively opened the door for their young star, whose contract runs until 2027, and that talks with Liverpool were at an advanced stage with only hours left in the window to close the deal.
Liverpool’s strategy is clear. They are stockpiling young attacking talent while trying to reshape the current front line on the fly.
Gakpo, City and the £85m question
That reshaping could include a blockbuster exit.
Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, stated that Gakpo already has an agreement in place with Manchester City over personal terms, and that City have sent an £85m bid to Liverpool.
The catch? Liverpool will only sign off on Gakpo’s departure if they land a right winger before the deadline. No winger, no sale.
That condition has turned the final hours of the window into a high-stakes domino run.
Sarr tops Liverpool winger list
At the front of Liverpool’s winger shortlist sits Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr.
“At the moment, the favourite, more than Yankuba Minteh, is Ismaila Sarr. Ismaila Sarr is the favourite candidate,” Romano said.
Palace, though, are standing firm. According to Romano, the London club are currently saying no to Sarr’s exit, even as they scan the market themselves for wide options in case the right offer lands on their desk.
Liverpool have already tested Palace’s resolve. Romano revealed that the Reds lodged a written bid worth £45m plus £5m in add-ons – a £50m package – which Palace rejected. He stressed that it was a formal, written proposal, not a verbal approach.
Sarr, for his part, wants the move. He wants Liverpool. The decision now rests with the two clubs and how far each is willing to bend in the final stretch of the window.
A frantic finish at Anfield
Behind the scenes, the phone lines are burning.
Romano says Liverpool are being offered wingers “every minute” as clubs and agents sense opportunity and urgency. Everyone knows Liverpool need a winger if they are to cash in on Gakpo and still emerge stronger – or at least not weaker – from this window.
So Liverpool find themselves split across timelines.
N’Guessan and Brughmans for 2027 and beyond. A possible £85m exit for Gakpo right now. A tug-of-war with Crystal Palace over Sarr in the present tense.
The plan is bold. The margin for error before the deadline is tiny.
