ibrahim-mbaye-senegal
Are you a winger between 18–24 years old who excels when one-on-one? If so, you may be expecting a call from Richard Hughes and Liverpool in the coming days.
The Reds have needed two wingers since the start of the summer. One for both sides. The first name on their list was Yan Diomande and they even submitted a big-money offer, only for Real Madrid to swoop in.
Since then, they have been relentlessly chasing Bradley Barcola and finally agreed a deal for his services at the back end of last week. He will arrive for a whopping £120m fee.
Most expensive Premier League transfers after Barcola (summer 2026)
Most expensive Premier League transfers after Barcola (summer 2026)
That's the saga on the left side on Andoni Iraola's attack. On the other side, things are even more complicated.
Why Liverpool have missed a trick with Ibrahim Mbaye
On the other side of the frontline, it looked as though Yankuba Minteh was destined to be the solution. Brighton, however, are demanding £80m ahead of the deadline and Liverpool do not have time for that price to go down thanks to their last-minute shopping.
That looked set to make Ibrahim Mbaye a viable option once again. After all, the only thing better than one Paris Saint-Germain winger is two, right?
Ibrahim Mbaye for PSG
Ibrahim Mbaye for PSG
The 18-year-old seemingly wanted out of the French giants, having rejected any opportunity to sign a new deal, offering the perfect chance for the Reds to pounce.
Alas, a £47m switch to Aston Villa now appears imminent, with the Midlands side turning to the teenager after seeing their hopes of signing Rafael Leao dashed. Should Liverpool not have done the same?
For the price tag, particularly in contrast to the £80m-rated Minteh, pursuing Mbaye felt like a no-brainer. The numbers suggest that ditching the Brighton man in favour of Mbaye would have been a wise move from Liverpool too.
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League stats 25/26 Minteh Mbaye
Minutes 2,398 997
Goals 3 3
Assists 4 2
Take-ons per 90 2.44 1.9
Possession won in final third per 90 0.71 0.99
The big issue that Liverpool should have about Brighton's asking price is Minteh's output. They may be desperate for a winger, but they're not desperate enough to spend £80m on a player who won't be back from injury until October and was involved in just seven goals last season.
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Mbaye, with over 1,000 minutes less, was involved in five goals. The potential is worth the investment in this instance. Crucially, it's also worth noting that he won possession back in the final third almost once per game.
Out of the wingers that featured for Liverpool against Newcastle United, only Rio Ngumoha won possession back in that area. If Iraola's high-intensity system is going to work, he needs more players pressing with far more success.
But, with Mbaye instead now Villa Park-bound, Liverpool may at least already have a bigger talent signed and sealed for next summer.
Liverpool may have signed a bigger talent than Mbaye
There's been a lot of discourse about Liverpool's biggest creators over the last week. Jamie Carragher certainly didn't hold back when criticising Florian Wirtz after another subdued display against Newcastle.
florian-wirtz-newcastle
The German was timid out of possession, slow in possession and was hooked when the Reds needed a goal. That paints an accurate picture of his Liverpool career so far.
As those at Anfield build towards the future, it won't be too long before Samuel Martinez arrives to challenge Wirtz's role at creator. The 17-year-old is set to arrive from Nacional next summer as an exciting talent.
It was some coup from Liverpool when they agreed a deal for the Colombian. Reports claimed that clubs such as Bayern Munich were also interested, before those at Anfield sealed their move.
In terms of profile, The Athletic claimed that Martinez is a modern No.10 whose movement resembles Kaka. They also pointed out that, whilst the 17-year-old is a skilled dribbler and accomplished passer, he can also press. That ticks a major box for Iraola.
Comparisons with Kaka are not absurd, either. Martinez has the potential to become exactly that and his tall stature makes him a very similar profile. For all the talk about Liverpool's transfers and the will they/won't they, they've already signed a bigger talent than Mbaye.
Some Liverpool fans will remember Kaka's role in Hernan Crespo's two goals against Rafa Benitiez's side in the 2005 Champions League final.
The Brazilian powered through with grace and speed before finding two excellent passes. Of course, he ended the day on the losing side in stunning fashion on that famous Istanbul night, but the moments themselves are relevant here.
Clips of Martinez show similar grace and strength. He uses his body to power through and then drive with possession. For a player his age to have that ability is always a good sign.
Whilst the likes of Wirtz struggle with the physicality of the Premier League, Martinez is showing all the signs that he will cope just find when he arrives and eventually plays his part.