Liverpool's Winger Hunt: Minteh, Mbaye, and Barcola Deals

Liverpool’s winger hunt is turning into a race against the clock – and against Paris Saint-Germain’s valuation.

With Mohamed Salah gone to Trabzonspor and the summer window ticking into its final days, Liverpool have thrown their energy into rebuilding the wide areas. Victor Munoz has already arrived from Osasuna. Now the club are pushing hard for Yankuba Minteh, even as uncertainty over Ibrahim Mbaye and Bradley Barcola starts to cloud the picture.

Minteh deal drives Liverpool’s late-window strategy

The Minteh chase is moving faster than most. Gambian journalist Foday Manneh reported on Friday that Liverpool have seen a second offer rejected by Brighton, after an opening £50m bid was turned down. Even so, both clubs remain optimistic that they can find common ground.

Manneh wrote on X that Brighton had knocked back Liverpool’s latest approach but that talks are continuing, with all sides hopeful of an agreement for the Gambian winger.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano then echoed that update, adding a crucial detail: Minteh and Liverpool already have what he described as a “broad verbal agreement” on personal terms. The player has given the green light to the project, leaving the fee as the main obstacle.

Romano reported that Brighton rejected a £60m bid sent on Friday, yet negotiations are still alive. Liverpool clearly see Minteh as a priority piece of their post-Salah rebuild, and the club’s insistence suggests they are prepared to stay at the table.

Mbaye grows restless as gap with PSG remains

That relentless push for Minteh is starting to cast a shadow over Liverpool’s pursuit of Mbaye.

According to L’Equipe, via Get French Football News, the slow progress of talks with PSG is beginning to test the patience of the Senegal international. The report indicates that Mbaye is now weighing up the idea of turning to other clubs if Liverpool do not accelerate their efforts.

The key issue is money. RMC Sport, as cited in the same report, claim Liverpool and PSG remain €20m apart in their valuation of Mbaye. PSG want €70m. Liverpool are only prepared to go to €50m. With just ten days left in the window, that gap is no longer a minor detail – it’s the whole story.

Negotiations for the France international Barcola are described as slow but moving. For Mbaye, they are even more sluggish. That contrast is not going unnoticed in the player’s camp.

Barcola caught in the same storm

Mbaye is not alone in his frustration. L’Equipe report that Barcola, another winger on Liverpool’s radar, feels his own transfer saga has dragged on too long as well.

Both Mbaye and Barcola are expected to be left out of Luis Enrique’s travelling squad for PSG’s Ligue 1 opener against Rennes. It is a clear signal: PSG know their futures are uncertain, and they are preparing to start the season without them.

For Liverpool, that could be an opportunity or a warning. The players are available in principle, but their patience is thinning as the days slip away and the Reds juggle multiple high-value targets at once.

A late-window gamble

Liverpool’s strategy is obvious: secure Minteh, then see what room remains to manoeuvre for Mbaye and Barcola. The risk is just as obvious. If the Minteh deal drags, or if the stand-off with PSG over Mbaye’s price continues, both wingers could look elsewhere before the deadline.

The club have already lost one era-defining wide forward in Salah. Now, with the market closing in and rival clubs circling, the question is blunt: can Liverpool land the firepower they need out wide before the window slams shut, or will this summer be remembered for the deals that slipped away?