Liverpool have been linked with a transfer bid for one of the world’s brightest young prospects - but they aren’t the only team in the race.
Liverpool find themselves in a curious position after the opening stages of the 2026/27 Premier League season. They’re undefeated and starting to find their feet under new head coach Andoni Iroala, but also six points behind the leaders and with a number of question marks surrounding their squad.
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One of the biggest debates raging around Anfield concerns the future of Florian Wirtz, who has struggled to live up to his £116m price tag. The German’s form hasn’t improved since the summer, and there’s a sense that Liverpool may eventually need to think about what comes next if he can’t blossom into the kind of explosive playmaker he was at Bayer Leverkusen.
A possible long-term solution may present itself in the January transfer window. Liverpool are reportedly somewhere close to the front of a very long queue of clubs who are showing transfer interest in Gilberto Mora, a Mexican wonderkid who is developing into a hugely impressive attacking midfielder – so could Mora be pushing Wirtz for his place in the near future, and how likely is it that a deal gets done?
The reports which suggest that Liverpool are among the clubs chasing Gilberto Mora
Liverpool are reportedly among the teams keen on 17-year-old Gilberto Moraplaceholder image
Liverpool are reportedly among the teams keen on 17-year-old Gilberto Mora | Getty Images
A handful of media outlets have suggested that Liverpool are among the suitors for the 17-year-old Mora, whose rapid rise in La Liga MX has attracted attention from across the globe – but now a new story from TEAMtalk claims that the Reds are “among the leading contenders” to capture the young prodigy’s signature.
Mora, already a full international who was a member of Mexico’s World Cup squad and a player whose precocious talents have made him a star in his home country, signed a new three-year contract with current employers Club Tijuana in June, but few observers expect him to see it out and the deal reportedly includes a form of release clause. A big move is likely to come in the relatively near future.
Aside from Liverpool, TEAMtalk’s report claims that Benfica and Borussia Dortmund are pressing hard to sign the teenager, but there is a very long list of clubs further back in the queue, including Arsenal, Cheslea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Practically every elite side in Europe has sent scouts to watch Mora play over the past year.
As such, it’s almost impossible to predict his most likely landing spot, and nor is it clear when he might leave. La Liga MX is divided into two halves, the Apertura and Clausura, which means that there is no clear end point to the footballing calendar at which Club Tijuana might be more content to sell.
The finances involved shouldn’t be too troubling for a Premier League club. Tijuana are expected to demand a deal worth around £20m including add-ons, which would shatter the league record for a sale but which wouldn’t worry a club like Liverpool. Money won’t be a problem for any of his suitors. Presenting the most appetising project will be the trick.
Gauging the likelihood that Liverpool will win the race at this early stage is effectively impossible – but there are growing signs that they are taking a serious interest in Mora, and his arrival could eventually represent a step towards a more cohesive attack.
Why sides like Liverpool are desperate to sign Mora
Mora scored his first goal for Mexico against Colombia last weekplaceholder image
Mora scored his first goal for Mexico against Colombia last week | Getty Images
Already a genuine superstar in Mexico, Mora was just 15 when he made his senior debut for Club Tijuana and became the youngest player ever to represent Mexico at the age of 16. He already has 75 senior appearances under his belt, 13 of them for the national team.
The extent of the hype in his home country can scarcely be overstated. Mexico has never produced a true global superstar of the game despite its rich footballing heritage, but Mora is on track to become the first. His technique and speed of both thought and feet has stood out from the start.
Although Mora initially played as a left winger, he seems to have settled into a role as an attacking midfielder who attacks the channels from deeper areas, surging forward with quick acceleration and remarkable close ball control. He’s already a superb dribbler and his passing is impressively sharp – and he’s scoring goals with increasing frequency, too.
Mora already has five goals in the first seven games of the Liga MX Apertura season and scored again for his national side in a friendly against Colombia last Sunday, his first for his country. It was a goal which typified the impact he can have – a surging late run into space on the byline inside the penalty area, a quick turn and touch to sit a defender down on the turf, and a sharp finish inside the near post before anyone else could react.
He’s got an impressive work ethic, too, and is increasingly effective off the ball. He’s averaging 4.9 forced turnovers per match for Club Tijuana so far this season, a number most defensive midfielders would be proud of.
Mora is a very young player who has developed incredibly quickly, appears to have an outstanding attitude and who is already productive in the final third. Combined with his preternatural technical skills, he’s the archetypal wonderkid – and the interest of sides like Liverpool is easy to understand. Perhaps he’ll be strutting his stuff at Anfield in the near future. It’s an appealing prospect.