Liverpool's Transfer Window Chaos: N'Guessan, Gakpo, and Sarr

Liverpool’s late-window chaos shows no sign of slowing.

Fabrizio Romano has delivered his trademark “here we go” on a deal for Saint-Etienne’s highly rated forward Djylian N’Guessan, even as the club wrestles with Cody Gakpo’s future and a tense pursuit of Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr.

Liverpool lock in N’Guessan for 2027

Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign 18-year-old N’Guessan from Saint-Etienne, with the French attacker set to join in the summer of 2027 after staying one more season with the Ligue 2 side.

Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna first revealed that talks between ASSE and Liverpool had moved into an advanced stage, reporting that “last details” were being ironed out. He underlined that Saint-Etienne have been open about the possibility of selling their young star, whose contract runs until 2027 but whose future was always likely to lie away from Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Aouna described N’Guessan as a major prospect in Liverpool’s eyes, with only “a few hours” left to get the transfer across the line. The pressure clearly told. Romano then confirmed the agreement, stating that Liverpool had secured authorization for the player’s medical and that the deal is done on the player side as well.

The move, which follows the signing of Lucca Brughmans, underlines Liverpool’s parallel strategy: build for the future even while the first team is being reshaped in real time.

Barcola in, Gakpo out?

That reshaping is being driven by another big attacking arrival. Bradley Barcola is poised to complete his switch from PSG after passing his medical on Sunday, with only the formalities of his blockbuster contract left to tie up.

Barcola’s imminent arrival is expected to unlock Gakpo’s move to Manchester City. The Netherlands international has turned down an £85 million transfer to Tottenham in favour of joining Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad, a decision that dramatically shifts the landscape at the top of the Premier League.

According to Romano, Gakpo already has an agreement in place with City on personal terms. City have sent an £85m bid to Liverpool and are ready to close, but the deal still hinges on one crucial condition: Liverpool will only sell if they secure a right winger before the deadline.

So the entire domino effect hangs on that one piece.

Sarr at the centre of the winger chase

That brings the focus squarely onto Ismaila Sarr.

Romano reports that Sarr is currently ahead of Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh on Liverpool’s list. The Crystal Palace forward is the “favourite candidate” as the club scramble to find the Gakpo replacement that would allow them to green-light his sale to City.

Palace, though, are digging in. Romano says the London club are still saying no to Sarr’s exit, even as they quietly scan the market for potential winger replacements in case a proposal arrives that is simply too good to refuse.

Behind the scenes, the story has been running longer than most realised. Romano revealed that Liverpool already had a £50m offer turned down earlier in the week. The bid, he says, was official and written: £45m plus £5m in add-ons. Palace rejected it and, at that price, are not prepared to sell.

The public narrative only caught up later. Romano insists that while the links were initially denied, Liverpool’s bid was very real – and now the rest of the market is acting accordingly.

Sarr, for his part, wants the move. He is pushing to join Liverpool, but the decision now rests entirely with the two clubs. Either Palace soften their stance, or Liverpool are forced to look elsewhere in the final hours of the window.

A club pulled between present and future

All this plays out against a frantic backdrop. Romano says Liverpool are being offered wingers “every minute” by clubs and agents who know exactly how desperate the situation could become if Gakpo is allowed to leave without a replacement secured.

On one side, there is the long-term planning: N’Guessan signed for 2027, Brughmans already in the pipeline, a clear attempt to stockpile elite potential for the next cycle at Anfield.

On the other, there is the brutal short-term reality: keep Gakpo or cash in and trust that the right winger arrives in time.

Liverpool’s window now hangs on a razor’s edge. Does Sarr become the key that unlocks everything, or does a collapsed move force Gakpo to stay and reshape the season in a completely different way?