Liverpool could sign a bigger talent than Mbaye from Arsenal
1 week ago
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Published Aug 20, 2026, 7:10 AM GMT+1
Ethan is a feature and opinion journalist at Football FanCast, specialising in analytical football writing, Premier League coverage and in-depth features across the English game.
A graduate of the University of Derby's Football Journalism course, Ethan began developing his football media experience through roles including media assistant at non-league side Mickleover Sports and EFL reporter for VAVEL. After graduating in 2023, he spent six months as a Premier League journalist at GRV Media before joining Football FanCast in February 2024.
Ethan's work focuses on analysis-led features, opinion and player and club assessment, examining the tactical, statistical and wider footballing context behind the biggest stories. He covers a broad range of clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Leeds United and sides across the Midlands, with particular expertise in Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.
As a Nottingham Forest season-ticket holder and lifelong supporter, Ethan also brings first-hand knowledge of the club and its supporters to his coverage, complementing his broader understanding of the Premier League and English football.
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After being appointed as Liverpool boss earlier this summer, Andoni Iraola would no doubt have been expecting more business with just a handful of days until the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
The Reds have only signed Víctor Muñoz and Ronald Araujo to date, with the latter only at Anfield on loan until the end of the season to offer centre-back cover.
The hierarchy certainly weren’t afraid to splash the cash 12 months ago, as they handed former boss Arne Slot over £400m to improve the club’s senior ranks.
However, despite the slow activity in the window over recent months, Iraola’s men could be set to ramp up their interest in one extremely talented youngster.
How Mbaye would fit into Iraola's system at Liverpool
Over the last couple of weeks, Liverpool have stepped up their interest in signing PSG winger Ibrahim Mbaye, after it was confirmed the youngster would be free to leave this summer.
The Senegalese star has been in demand throughout the current window, with the likes of Aston Villa and Bayer Leverkusen both in the race for the 18-year-old.
Talks have been held between Iraola’s men and the current Champions League holders, with a £45m fee mooted to secure his signature before the end of the window.
He may be an unknown quantity to many Reds supporters, but Mbaye has already had an impressive start to his professional career with his boyhood club.
Ibrahim Mbaye - Ligue 1 stats (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
24
Goals & assists
5
Pass accuracy
84%
Chances created
0.8
Cross success
12%
Dribble success
38%
Times dispossessed
1.6
Duels won
41%
The teenager, who’s primarily a right-winger, registered six combined goals and assists for Luis Enrique’s men last term, but often had to settle for cameos off the bench.
He caught the eye with his impressive direct dribbling, as seen by his average of 1.9 successful attempts 90, which could make him an excellent replacement for Mohamed Salah.
Mbaye is a right-footed option, which will likely see him drive towards the byline rather than cutting inside, but regardless, he could pose a huge threat should he emulate his 42% shot-on-target accuracy rate from last term.
How Liverpool can land a bigger talent than Mbaye this summer
Despite the recent efforts to land Mbaye ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, Liverpool are still firmly on the hunt for added attacking options to bolster Iraola’s squad.
Bradley Barcola is a name which continues to be linked with a move to Anfield, but as has been the case for the majority of the window, there is still no agreement between the Reds and PSG.
REUTERS/Vincent Carchietta
He and Mbaye aren’t the only attacking stars being considered by the hierarchy, as Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri has emerged as a viable option for Iraola’s men in recent days.
It’s been reported by Anfield Sector that Liverpool are now eyeing a move for the 19-year-old, who only made six Premier League appearances last campaign.
They also claim that the Englishman could be allowed to depart the Emirates this window, but would ideally prefer to sanction a loan move over a permanent one.
However, prior reportsf from Football Transfers have stated that if an offer in the region of £55m was presented, then Mikel Arteta’s men would be open to cashing in on the teenager before the end of the market.
Such a deal would see Liverpool invest in a highly-rated young talent, who certainly is still in the opening stages of his career at the top-level of English football.
However, despite his tender age, Nwaneri has already racked up bags of experience and has featured 51 times for the Gunners since his debut in 2022.
His stats from his loan spell in Ligue 1 at Marseille last season showcase his quality, subsequently bettering fellow target Mbaye in various key attacking areas.
The Englishman managed to complete more of the passes he attempted in France’s top-flight, subsequently allowing him to create more chances per 90.
Such a figure allowed Nwaneri to achieve a 44% cross success rate, better than the PSG youngster and 94% of other attackers across Europe’s top-five leagues.
The Arsenal youngster’s dominance over the Senegalese international was further reflected in his better minutes-per-goal contribution rate - as he ended the year with three goals and assists in just 322 minutes.
Spending £55m on Nwaneri would be somewhat of a risk for the Reds this window, but the deal could prove to be a bargain if he continues on his current trajectory.
REUTERS/Manon Cruz
He’s in desperate need of added senior minutes away from the Emirates to continue his progression, with Anfield the perfect place for the youngster to develop.
Many fans will want Mbaye to be their latest attacking addition, but all of the stats from recent times suggest that they would land a bigger talent with a move for the Arsenal star.
1 week ago
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