Liverpool have been recommended to sign a €30 million-rated Champions League winger who could help Arne Slot replace Mohamed Salah at Anfield.
Salah’s announcement that he will leave the Reds on a free transfer at the end of the season is set to leave a gaping void in Liverpool’s attacking options, despite the Egypt international being apparently past his best.
The Anfield club needs rejuvenated, and following the announcement by Fabrizio Romano that Mbaye is seeking a move away from PSG this summer, the young winger has emerged as a strong option for Liverpool.
Tweeting on Sunday, Romano pointed out that Mbaye has not played a single minute of PSG’s last four matches and was notably left out of the squad for the 2-1 loss against Lyon at Parc des Princes. This came as a particular surprise given that PSG rotated heavily for that match after their midweek success over Liverpool.
The message from the transfer expert was an agent’s dream. While the transfer expert did not make it explicit, Romano was clearly promoting Mbaye’s availability on the market this summer.
Why Mbaye is a strong candidate for Liverpool
The 18-year-old, who came through the PSG academy, has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €27.6 million, enormous potential and has been improving rapidly in recent times, making him a candidate for Europe’s biggest teams.
Data analytics firm SciSports like the prospect of the teenager moving to Liverpool, with its Career Advice tool recommending a switch to Anfield for the youngster.
SciSports give each club a Club Fit score that assesses the suitability of a particular deal, with Liverpool getting a strong mark of 80 for Mayulu.
In terms of playing style and formation, he is well suited to the Merseyside team, who can also offer him substantial development opportunities. And while he only scores two stars in terms of playing time, this figure does not take into account the departure of Salah in the summer. In reality it will be higher.
Mbaye: One for the future
Liverpool are unlikely to use Mbaye as a front-line option immediately, but the 18-year-old could be employed as a medium-term project at Anfield. His presence on the right would complement that of Rio Ngumoah on the left, giving Slot two high-quality prospects in these areas.
And it’s worth remembering that Mbaye is further along in his development than the former Chelsea youth. He would arrive with nearly 40 top-team appearances at PSG, not to mention 10 international outings for Senegal.
The downside, of course, is that Liverpool would likely need to look for a stop-gap player capable of producing a high level over the next two or three seasons. One of their weaknesses this year has been their inability to get meaningful production from the right side of their attack, whether that’s been Salah or anyone else.
Mbaye is a player who could replace Salah two or three years down the road, but the timing of his availability raises questions. He is unlikely to be the man Liverpool need to replace their Egyptian King in the short term, but if both the Reds and the player are willing to show a little patience, this could be a fine long-term project.
Related stories:
Yan Diomande to Liverpool: The good and bad news as RB Leipzig star matches Haaland
Five players who could leave Liverpool this summer
Transfer Rumours: Martinelli talks confirmed as Man Utd target €70m attacker
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
•Google Play
•App Store
