Liverpool Target Ibrahim Mbaye for Winger Rebuild

Liverpool have opened the door to a move for Paris Saint-Germain’s teenage winger Ibrahim Mbaye as Andoni Iraola begins the delicate task of rebuilding his attack without Mohamed Salah.

The club have explored the conditions of a deal for the 18-year-old, who operates predominantly from the right and is understood to be keen on a switch to Anfield. For a side that has just lost one of its greatest ever forwards, the profile is no coincidence.

Iraola’s wide blueprint

Iraola has made it clear: his wide players will drive this new Liverpool. The club are planning to have five wingers in place by the end of the window, with one of those slots reserved for a younger talent they can shape over time.

Mbaye fits that brief perfectly. Young, explosive, already tested on the biggest stage.

Liverpool have already moved to refresh the flanks with the arrival of Victor Munoz earlier in the summer, and they are casting the net wider still. Mbaye is one of several options being assessed as the club prioritises reinforcements in wide attacking areas.

Mbaye and Barcola: two separate tracks

Liverpool’s scouts have not stopped at Mbaye. There is also a strong interest in his PSG team-mate Bradley Barcola, another highly rated wide forward. So far, though, there has been no formal offer for either player.

Crucially, the pursuit of Mbaye stands on its own. The interest in the Senegal international is completely independent of any potential move for Barcola.

That independence may prove important. PSG’s £145m valuation of Barcola makes any deal for the Frenchman extremely difficult under current conditions. Mbaye, by contrast, could represent a more attainable – and strategic – investment, with Liverpool open to the idea of signing him alongside a more experienced winger if the market allows.

From Paris to the world stage

Mbaye is no unknown prospect plucked from an academy spreadsheet. He has already stepped into the spotlight.

A product of PSG’s youth system, he made his senior debut for the French champions in August 2024 at just 16. His rise accelerated quickly from there.

Born in France, he represented the country at youth level before committing his international future to Senegal. He made his senior debut for the African nation in November 2025, another milestone ticked off before most players have fully broken into club football.

Then came the World Cup.

At the 2026 tournament, Mbaye wrote his name into the record books, becoming the youngest African ever to score at a World Cup. He was 18 years and 143 days old when he found the net in Senegal’s 3-1 defeat to France – a bittersweet night that still underlined his fearlessness on the biggest stage.

Records like that tend to attract attention. Liverpool have taken notice.

Life after Salah

The right flank at Anfield has carried Salah’s imprint for seven years. Goals, assists, gravity. Filling that void with a single signing is impossible, so Liverpool are choosing a different route: depth, variety, and a long-term project.

Mbaye, who naturally operates off that right side, drops neatly into the gap Liverpool have been studying since Salah’s departure at the end of last season. He would not arrive as a direct replacement, nor as an immediate superstar, but as a high-upside talent in a retooled winger group.

For Iraola, whose philosophy leans heavily on aggressive, high-energy wide players, the idea of bedding in a young, fearless right-sided attacker is an enticing one.

The question now is simple: can Liverpool turn admiration into agreement, and will PSG be willing to let another of their academy jewels leave just as his career begins to ignite?