Liverpool transfer target Ibrahim Mbaye wasted no time reminding everyone why he is attracting attention.
The Paris Saint-Germain youngster needed just two minutes to find the back of the net against Manchester United in a pre-season friendly, giving PSG an early lead before the game eventually finished 1-1.
And for Liverpool supporters keeping an eye on the club’s transfer targets, Mbaye’s performance was certainly worth watching.
Mbaye makes an instant impact
Scoring within two minutes of kick-off is impressive at any level, but doing it against Manchester United provides an even bigger platform.
Mbaye showed exactly why he is regarded as an exciting young attacking talent, making an immediate impact before PSG were pegged back.
The youngster’s ability to contribute in the final third is one of the qualities that has reportedly caught Liverpool’s attention.
At such a young age, there is naturally plenty of development still to come, but performances like this demonstrate why Europe’s biggest clubs are keeping an eye on him.
Why Liverpool are interested
Liverpool have developed a reputation for identifying young players with enormous potential, and Mbaye fits that profile.
He is still at the beginning of his career, meaning any potential move would be more about what he could become rather than simply what he is today.
That is often where Liverpool have been particularly clever in the transfer market.
Rather than waiting until a player has completely established himself at the highest level, the Reds can look to identify talent early and provide the pathway towards first-team football.
Mbaye’s development at PSG will therefore be fascinating to follow.
A goal Liverpool fans will have noticed
There is obviously a long way to go before we can start talking about Mbaye as a Liverpool player.
A goal in a friendly certainly doesn’t mean a transfer is imminent.
But if Liverpool are genuinely monitoring him, performances like this will only increase the excitement surrounding the youngster.
To score against Manchester United after just two minutes is quite some way to make your presence known.
And Liverpool supporters will undoubtedly be watching closely to see how Mbaye develops from here.
The Reds have already assembled an exciting group of young attacking players, and adding another high-potential talent like Mbaye could make Liverpool’s future even more exciting.
For now, though, the message from Mbaye was simple:
Two minutes. One goal.
Liverpool fans will be hoping there are plenty more moments like that to come from a player who could potentially have a very interesting future at Anfield.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
### _Related_