Liverpool’s Forward Search: Mbaye and Alternatives

Liverpool’s search for another forward has taken them through Ligue 1’s brightest prospects, but the picture around PSG talent Mbaye is far less advanced than it first looked.

French journalist Romain Molina has cooled talk of a major push from Anfield, making it clear the 19-year-old is admired but not central to Liverpool’s plans as the window ticks into its final stretch.

“Truthfully, Mbaye is on Liverpool’s shortlist but not as the No. 1 choice,” Molina said, underlining that the club see him as an option rather than the cornerstone of their late-window strategy.

Agent power games shape Mbaye’s future

The next step in Mbaye’s career may hinge less on Liverpool’s desire and more on the influence of his agent, Jorge Mendes. Molina stressed that the super-agent is likely to drive the market rather than wait on a single Premier League bid.

“Mendes knows very well that at the end of the transfer window there will be something for Mbaye, so he will use the clubs where he has the most influence to make things move,” he explained.

That dynamic places Mbaye’s situation in sharp contrast to that of his PSG teammate Barcola, who sits higher on Liverpool’s attacking wishlist. The Reds are understood to be focusing more on Barcola, whose representation operates in a very different way to Mendes.

Molina was blunt about Mendes’ leverage in this particular chase, especially with PSG’s demands soaring.

“That’s not where he’s most influential, especially with the price currently being asked by Paris Saint-Germain,” he said, suggesting Anfield is not one of the agent’s strongest pressure points in this case.

The difference becomes even clearer when Barcola’s representative, Moussa Sissoko, enters the frame. Molina drew a line between the two styles.

“That’s where you see the difference between the two agents. For Mendes it’s not so much the player’s wishes that count, it’s where he has connections with the executives to make things move how he wants. With [Sissoko] it’s the opposite. Even if it means clashing with clubs, even if it means going hard. He wants to go to war for his players."

Liverpool’s alternative wide targets

If Mbaye’s price tag, agent dynamics or place on the shortlist end up blocking a move, Liverpool are not short of fallback options. The recruitment department has already lined up several alternatives for the wide positions.

• Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh is being monitored
• Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo
• Bournemouth winger Rayan

All viewed as potential fits for the flanks in a refreshed Liverpool attack.

Another name gaining traction is Köln forward Said El Mala. The 22-year-old can play on either wing or through the middle and had previously been linked with Borussia Dortmund.

That path now looks clearer. Sky Germany report that Dortmund have stepped away from the race, leaving Liverpool as a possible next mover if they choose to activate his reported €50m (£42.7m) release clause.

Double PSG raid faces harsh reality

For supporters, the idea of Liverpool lifting both Mbaye and Barcola from Paris in one swoop is an enticing one. The numbers tell a different story. PSG are expected to demand a combined fee north of £150m for the pair, a figure that would reshape any club’s transfer strategy in a single stroke.

Molina’s assessment is that Mbaye remains under consideration, but the scale of the finances involved may push Liverpool toward another, as yet unnamed, attacking target.

The clock is ticking. With the deadline looming and the forward line still in need of its final piece, Liverpool’s next move will say plenty about how bold they are prepared to be in this new era.