Liverpool secures Djylian N'Guessan for 2027 strike option

Liverpool are quietly building their next forward line while the rest of Europe scrambles to finish this summer’s business.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that the club have reached an agreement to sign St Etienne striker Djylian N'Guessan, with the teenager scheduled to arrive at Anfield in the summer of 2027. The deal is said to be complete on both club and player side, with N'Guessan authorised to undergo a medical.

The fee remains under wraps, but the strategy is clear.

“Liverpool are trying to lock down tomorrow’s goalscorers today.”

Busy window, long view

This development drops into an already hectic end to the window on Merseyside. A move for Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola is understood to be in place, with only official confirmation still missing.

Liverpool have also moved early in another area of the pitch. They recently agreed a €35 million deal with Genk for goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans, who, like N'Guessan, will not join until next summer.

The pattern is hard to miss. While supporters are clamouring for immediate first-team reinforcements, the recruitment team are also pushing years down the line, banking talent for the next iteration of the squad.

Who is Djylian N'Guessan?

N'Guessan only turned 18 recently, but St Etienne have already given him a taste of senior football. The centre-forward, who can also operate in wide attacking roles, has made 13 appearances for the first team, with several of those coming in the 2024-25 campaign.

Most of his minutes, though, have come with Saint Etienne's B team and under-19 side, where he has built his reputation as one of the club’s most promising young attackers. He is also capped at youth level for his country, up to under-20s.

For now, he stays in France. That part matters. Remaining with Saint Etienne, where regular game time is more realistic and the environment is familiar, could be crucial for his development before he makes the leap to the Premier League.

Liverpool’s gamble is that by 2027, the raw teenager they’ve moved early to secure will arrive as a far more complete forward, ready to fight for a place in a front line that may look very different from today’s. The question is whether the club can match that long-term planning with the immediate firepower supporters still expect before this window closes.