Liverpool’s late-window plans are starting to take shape, and they carry a clear message: buy for now, but never stop planning for tomorrow.
N’Guessan deal sealed for 2027
Fabrizio Romano has delivered his trademark “here we go” on Djylian N’Guessan, confirming Liverpool have struck an agreement with Saint-Etienne for one of Ligue 2’s brightest young forwards.
N’Guessan, just 18, will remain with AS Saint-Etienne for another season before making the move to Anfield in the summer of 2027. Liverpool have already secured authorization for his medical, with the deal described as fully agreed on both club and player side.
The move was first pushed into the spotlight by Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna, who reported “advanced negotiations” between ASSE and Liverpool, with only “last details to settle” and just hours left to get it over the line. Saint-Etienne have long been open about the possibility of selling their young star, whose contract runs until 2027, and Liverpool see him as a major prospect for the future.
N’Guessan follows Lucca Brughmans as another long-term project signing, underlining a clear recruitment strategy: while the first team chases trophies, the club quietly builds the next generation behind them.
Barcola in, Gakpo out?
The future, though, is not just about teenagers and tomorrow. There is a major domino about to fall at the top of the squad.
Bradley Barcola is set to complete his move from PSG after passing his medical on Sunday, and his arrival is expected to open the door for Cody Gakpo’s departure to Manchester City.
Gakpo has turned down a proposed £85 million move to Tottenham Hotspur and instead set his sights on The Etihad. According to Romano, the Dutch forward already has an agreement in place with City over personal terms, with the Premier League champions sending an £85m bid to Liverpool.
The catch is obvious and brutal: Liverpool will only sign off on Gakpo’s exit if they land a right winger before the deadline. No winger, no deal. The entire situation hangs on that single condition.
Sarr at the centre of the winger chase
So who is the winger that unlocks everything? Right now, all eyes are on Ismaila Sarr.
Romano reports that Liverpool have already tested Crystal Palace’s resolve with a formal offer worth £45m plus £5m in add-ons – a £50m package that Palace rejected. The bid was never publicly acknowledged at the time, but Romano insists it was sent “in writing” and fully official.
Liverpool see Sarr as their leading candidate, ahead of Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, yet they are running into a familiar wall. Palace are still saying no. They are, however, sounding out potential replacements in case a serious proposal forces their hand.
Sarr’s own stance is clear. He wants the move. He wants Liverpool. The decision now rests with the two clubs, and with a ticking clock in the background, the standoff can only last so long.
A window on a knife-edge
While Liverpool’s recruitment team field offers from agents “every minute” for available wingers, the equation remains brutally simple.
Secure the right winger and Gakpo walks through the door to Manchester City. Miss out, and he stays, the entire attacking puzzle reshuffled again on the fly.
At one end of the plan sits N’Guessan, a bet on 2027. At the other stands Sarr, a potential key to the final hours of this window and the immediate shape of Liverpool’s front line.
The question now is whether Liverpool can land the winger that lets them cash in on Gakpo without weakening Andoni Iraola’s attack on the eve of a defining season.
