Liverpool Seals N'Guessan Deal for 2027 Amid Gakpo Transfer Talks
Liverpool have their next attacking jewel lined up – and their current forward line on the brink of a major reshuffle.
Fabrizio Romano has delivered his trademark “here we go” on Djylian N’Guessan, confirming Liverpool have struck a deal with Saint-Etienne for the highly rated 18-year-old. The French striker will officially join in the summer of 2027, staying one more season with ASSE before heading to Anfield.
It’s another long-range play from Liverpool’s recruitment team. They are trying to refresh Andoni Iraola’s attack for right now, while quietly stockpiling talent for what comes next.
N’Guessan deal sealed for 2027
The move first surfaced via Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna, who reported “advanced negotiations” between Saint-Etienne and Liverpool for N’Guessan, whose current deal in France runs to 2027.
ASSE have been open about the possibility of cashing in on their young star, and Liverpool view him as a significant prospect. Aouna described the talks as being down to “last details” and stressed that only “a few hours” remained to get it done.
Those details are now resolved. Romano confirmed that Liverpool have an agreement with club and player, with authorization already granted for the medical. N’Guessan becomes another future-facing signing, following the deal for Lucca Brughmans.
All of this is happening while Liverpool work on the here and now.
Barcola in, Gakpo out?
Bradley Barcola is set to arrive from PSG after passing his medical on Sunday, with only the formalities of his blockbuster contract to complete. His signing is expected to trigger one of the window’s biggest moves.
Cody Gakpo is ready to leave.
The Netherlands forward has turned down a proposed £85m move to Tottenham Hotspur and instead set his sights on Manchester City. According to Romano, Gakpo and City already have an agreement on personal terms, with the Premier League champions sending an £85m bid to Liverpool.
The deal, though, is not in Liverpool’s hands alone. Not yet.
The club will only sign off on Gakpo’s departure if they secure a right winger before Tuesday’s deadline. No winger, no sale. That is the equation at Anfield as the clock runs down.
Sarr at the centre of the domino
So who is the winger they want?
Romano says the leading candidate is Ismaila Sarr. The Crystal Palace wide man currently sits ahead of Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh on Liverpool’s list.
Palace are resisting. The London club, Romano reports, are still saying no to Sarr’s exit, even while they quietly scan the market for potential replacements in case an acceptable offer lands.
Liverpool have already tested their resolve. A bid worth £45m plus £5m in add-ons – a £50m package – was sent earlier this week and rejected. Romano insists it was a formal, written proposal, not a verbal feeler.
Publicly, the move had been played down. There were no early headlines linking Sarr to Anfield, but the rejected offer has now dragged the story into the open. Romano is adamant: Liverpool made the bid, Palace turned it down, and the stalemate remains.
What complicates it further is the player’s stance. Sarr, Romano says, wants the move. He wants Liverpool. For now, that desire sits in limbo while the two clubs haggle over value.
Market closing in on Liverpool
Behind the scenes, Liverpool are being bombarded. Agents and clubs know Iraola needs a winger if Gakpo is to be allowed to walk through the door at the Etihad, and options are being pitched “every minute”.
Yet the chain is clear. Barcola signs. Liverpool land the right winger. Only then does Gakpo’s £85m switch to Manchester City get the green light.
At the same time, N’Guessan waits in France, Brughmans already in the pipeline, and Liverpool’s next attacking era quietly takes shape.
The question now is whether they can land the winger that unlocks the entire domino before the window slams shut.
