Liverpool Secure Future Star Djylian N’Guessan

Liverpool have moved to lock in one of France’s most talked‑about teenagers, with Fabrizio Romano delivering his trademark “here we go” on a deal for Saint‑Etienne forward Djylian N’Guessan.

The 18-year-old will not arrive immediately. Liverpool have agreed a transfer that will see N’Guessan stay at Saint‑Etienne for another season before joining the Reds in the summer of 2027, a long-range play that fits neatly with the club’s habit of recruiting with the next era in mind.

Liverpool secure N’Guessan for the future

The move gathered pace when Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna revealed on X that talks between AS Saint‑Etienne and Liverpool were at an advanced stage, with “last details to settle” on a deal for the versatile attacker, who can operate out wide or through the middle.

Aouna reported that Saint‑Etienne had effectively opened the door for their young star, whose contract runs until 2027, and that negotiations with Liverpool were well down the line. Inside the club, N’Guessan is viewed as one of the standout prospects of his generation.

Hours later, Romano confirmed that an agreement was in place. Posting on X, he stated that Liverpool had sealed a deal for N’Guessan, that the 18-year-old French striker would join in summer 2027, and that the player side was “done” after Liverpool received authorization to conduct a medical. Romano framed the transfer as another future-facing move, following the capture of Lucca Brughmans.

It all comes as Liverpool continue a frantic end to the window. Bradley Barcola is set to arrive from Paris Saint‑Germain after completing his medical on Sunday, and the club are still working on more late business.

Gakpo, City and the Sarr domino

The big question now sits at the other end of the age and experience scale. Cody Gakpo’s future is on the table, and it is directly tied to Liverpool’s search for a winger.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said Gakpo has already reached an agreement on personal terms with Manchester City, with the Premier League champions sending an £85m bid to Anfield. The offer is there. The player is ready. Liverpool are the ones holding the line.

They will only accept, Romano stressed, if they bring in the “right winger” before the deadline. No replacement, no sale. If that winger does not walk through the door in time, Gakpo stays.

That stance has pushed Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr to the front of Liverpool’s attacking shortlist. According to Romano, Sarr is currently the preferred option ahead of Yankuba Minteh.

Palace, though, are not rolling over. Romano explained that the London club are still saying no to Sarr’s exit, even as they quietly scan the market for potential replacements in case a proposal lands that they cannot ignore.

Liverpool have already tested their resolve. Romano revealed that the Reds sent a written bid earlier in the week worth £45m plus £5m in add‑ons – a £50m package – which Palace rejected. At the time, there were no public links between Sarr and Liverpool, but Romano insisted that the offer was “100%” official, not a verbal enquiry.

Sarr, for his part, wants the move. He wants Liverpool. The deal now hinges on how far Liverpool are willing to push and when Palace’s stance, if at all, begins to soften.

While that tug-of-war continues, Liverpool’s recruitment department is being bombarded. Agents and clubs are flooding them with winger options, fully aware that the Reds’ willingness to cash in on Gakpo rests on finding the right wide forward.

N’Guessan’s arrival is one for tomorrow. The Sarr chase, and the Gakpo decision that hangs off it, will help define Liverpool’s attack right now.