Liverpool Targets PSG Starlet Ibrahim Mbaye Amid Barcola Negotiations

Liverpool’s first major attacking signing of the post‑Mohamed Salah era may not be the name many expected. All summer, the noise has centred on Bradley Barcola. Yet as negotiations for the French winger drag on, attention on Merseyside is sharpening around another Paris Saint-Germain talent: Ibrahim Mbaye.

According to RMC Sport, Liverpool are now “expected” to reach an agreement for the 18-year-old Senegalese forward, as PSG continue what is shaping up to be a landmark summer of outgoing deals. The European champions have already banked close to €150 million from the departures of Kang-in Lee to Atletico Madrid, Goncalo Ramos to Milan and Randal Kolo Muani to Juventus. Mbaye could be the next sizeable sale out of Paris.

A crowded PSG attack, a blocked pathway

Mbaye has two years left on his PSG contract and carries a strong reputation within French football circles. He is viewed as one of the brightest young strikers in Ligue 1, but his route into Luis Enrique’s starting XI is anything but clear.

PSG are still hunting a marquee attacker, with Julian Alvarez and Yan Diomande among the high-profile names targeted earlier in the window. Add that ambition to the existing competition in the forward line, and Mbaye’s chances of regular minutes in Paris look slim for now.

That congestion has opened the door. PSG value the teenager between €35m and €45m, a significant fee for a player still at the start of his career but reflective of his potential and the current market. Liverpool, though, are not alone.

Leverkusen push hard

Bayer Leverkusen have moved into the frame and, according to Canal+ journalist Olivier Tallaron, currently hold the edge over Liverpool. His report contrasts sharply with RMC Sport’s stance, which suggests Mbaye is intrigued by the idea of developing at Anfield under a new attacking project.

The tug-of-war is clear. Liverpool see a right-sided forward with room to grow into Salah’s old territory. Leverkusen see another dynamic piece to add to a squad already rich in young, technical talent. PSG, for their part, see a valuable asset at the right age and price to help reshape their squad.

For now, Mbaye’s future sits somewhere between Merseyside and the Bundesliga leaders’ ambitions.

Barcola deal stuck in the numbers

All of this unfolds against a complicated backdrop: the ongoing pursuit of Bradley Barcola. Liverpool’s interest in the French international has been consistent since Salah’s departure, but the two clubs remain far apart on a fee.

PSG have set the price at over €150m. Liverpool, determined not to smash their structure for one player, are resisting. As RMC Sport put it, a compromise will be required if Barcola is to walk out at Anfield any time soon.

FourFourTwo understands that the Mbaye move is not simply a Plan B. The club view the two deals as separate: Barcola profiles more as a left‑sided attacker, Mbaye primarily from the right. Both can switch flanks and operate through the middle, which only adds to their appeal in a squad built on fluidity in the final third.

Fitting the pieces together

The bigger picture at Liverpool is a front line in flux. Victor Munoz, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike all offer options on the left or centrally. The question now is how those pieces will be arranged – and who, if anyone, will be trusted to lock down the right.

Last season, Jeremie Frimpong and Dominik Szoboszlai both spent time out wide on that flank. The new coaching staff, led by Iraola, is comfortable with natural-foot wingers on their “own” side. At Bournemouth, he frequently used Alex Jimenez on the right and later leaned on Marcus Tavernier from the left as his first-choice option.

A right-footed right winger is no tactical taboo for this manager. It is part of his blueprint.

That is where Mbaye fits the vision so neatly. A young, right-sided forward, versatile enough to move across the line, hungry enough to grow into a major role rather than demand it from day one.

The battle with Leverkusen will decide where he takes that next step. The Barcola saga will decide how far Liverpool are willing to go to rebuild their attack in one sweeping summer.