Image Credits: Imago Images
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has a way of turning up the volume on transfer speculation, and for one player currently lighting up the tournament with Sweden, the noise has grown loud enough that journalists are now putting the question directly to him.
His answer was about as composed as his football.
Speaking to Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen ahead of Sweden’s Group F clash with the Netherlands, the 22-year-old was asked point blank about reports circulating in the British press linking him with a move to several Premier League giants this summer.
His response was measured and focused.
He told the outlet he is fully immersed in the World Cup environment and has no awareness of what is being discussed around him at club level.
In his own words, “I’m in the World Cup bubble, as they say.”
“I don’t have any control over anything.”
“Everyone else is taking care of it for me.”
“I’m just here focusing on the World Cup.”
Yasin Ayari, and the interest in him is entirely understandable given what he has produced so far on the biggest stage of his young career.
Ayari announced himself at this tournament in dramatic fashion against Tunisia, scoring twice in Sweden’s emphatic 5-1 victory on June 15.
His first goal, scored in the seventh minute, was followed by an apology gesture rather than a full celebration, a mark of respect for his father’s Tunisian roots after the country had previously tried to persuade him to switch international allegiances.
By the time he netted his second in stoppage time, any restraint was gone and he celebrated in full alongside the Swedish faithful.
That performance, combined with a 2025-26 Premier League season in which he contributed three goals and three assists across 29 appearances for Brighton, has drawn serious attention.
According to reports, Liverpool have him on their radar, with Brighton even said to have entered negotiations over a contract extension, underscoring how alert the club are to the possibility of losing him.
The Liverpool angle carries particular weight given the club’s midfield picture this summer.
Curtis Jones has been linked with a move to Inter Milan, and Alexis Mac Allister’s future has also attracted speculation, meaning Andoni Iraola could need reinforcement in the engine room sooner rather than later.
Ayari’s contract at Brighton runs until 2027, and without an extension, the Seagulls may have little choice but to sell.
For now, though, Ayari has other business to attend to.
Sweden face the Netherlands next, and a place in the round of 32 is within reach.
The transfer circus will have to wait.