Liverpool Secures Djylian N’Guessan for 2027
Liverpool are closing in on another long‑term attacking bet, with Fabrizio Romano delivering his trademark “here we go” on a deal for Saint‑Etienne prodigy Djylian N’Guessan – all while the club wrestles with Cody Gakpo’s future and a tense chase for Ismaila Sarr.
Liverpool lock in N’Guessan for 2027
The N’Guessan move is one for the horizon, not for Tuesday’s deadline. The 18-year-old Saint‑Etienne forward will stay in France for another season before joining Liverpool in the summer of 2027, Romano confirmed, after the Reds secured both an agreement with ASSE and authorization for the player’s medical.
French outlet Foot Mercato first pushed the story into the spotlight. Journalist Santi Aouna reported “advanced negotiations” between AS Saint‑Etienne and Liverpool for N’Guessan, noting that the Ligue 2 club had effectively opened the door for their young star, whose current deal runs until 2027 but leaves them with “few alternatives” if they want to cash in at the right time.
Liverpool, Aouna wrote, see N’Guessan as a major prospect for the future, with “only a few hours left to finalize the deal… or not.” Romano then followed up to state that the agreement is in place, with the versatile attacker lined up as another future-facing signing after the capture of Lucca Brughmans.
It’s a move that underlines the club’s long-term planning. But it doesn’t change the immediate reality: Liverpool still need a winger now.
Barcola in, Gakpo out – if Liverpool get their winger
Bradley Barcola’s arrival from PSG is effectively done, the Frenchman having completed his medical on Sunday ahead of a blockbuster move to Anfield. His signing is expected to set off one of the window’s biggest late dominoes.
Gakpo, who had been the subject of a proposed £85 million switch to Tottenham, has chosen Manchester City instead. According to Romano, the Dutch forward already has a contract agreement in place with City and the Premier League champions have submitted an £85m bid to Liverpool.
There is a catch. Liverpool will only green-light Gakpo’s move to the Etihad if they land a right winger before the deadline. No replacement, no sale. The entire deal now hangs on whether the Reds can break the deadlock in their winger hunt.
Sarr the priority as Palace dig in
That search has a clear focal point. Romano says Ismaila Sarr has moved ahead of Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh in Liverpool’s thinking and is now the preferred target.
Crystal Palace, though, are holding firm. The London club are still refusing to sanction Sarr’s exit, even as they quietly scan the market for potential wing options of their own in case the right offer forces their hand.
Romano revealed that Liverpool already tested Palace’s resolve earlier in the week with a formal bid worth £50m – £45m plus £5m in add‑ons. That offer was rejected. At the time, there were no public links between Sarr and Liverpool, but Romano insists the written proposal was very real and very official.
Palace’s stance is clear: that package is not enough to sell.
Sarr’s position is just as clear. He wants the move. The Senegal international is keen to join Liverpool, leaving the situation squarely in the hands of the two clubs as the clock ticks down.
A frantic finish on Merseyside
Behind the scenes, the pace is relentless. With Gakpo’s exit contingent on a replacement and every agent in Europe aware that Liverpool “obviously need a winger,” offers are flying in by the minute.
N’Guessan is secured for tomorrow. Barcola is lined up for today. The Gakpo deal is ready to explode.
Whether Liverpool can prise Sarr out of Selhurst Park – or pivot fast enough to another winger – will decide if this window ends with a bold reshaping of their attack or a last‑minute climbdown that keeps Gakpo at Anfield a little longer.
