Ibrahim Mbaye: Liverpool's Next Phenomenon in the Making

Liverpool’s rebuild was supposed to be a whirlwind. Instead, it has been a slow burn – but the picture is starting to sharpen.

Victor Munoz came through the door. Jeremy Jacquet followed. Ronald Aruajo is expected to be next, with Liverpool aiming to have that deal wrapped up by the end of next week. None of them are marquee names in the mould of recent eras, yet all three are designed to plug gaps and reset a squad that had begun to fray at the edges.

It’s not enough on its own. Everyone at Anfield knows that. The squad still needs more surgery before Liverpool can talk seriously about going toe-to-toe with the very best again.

And this is where Ibrahim Mbaye enters the story.

Mbaye turns his head towards Anfield

The transfer rumour machine around Liverpool has been running hot all summer. A new name appears every other day, and supporters inevitably dive into clips, stats and compilations, even as they remind themselves not to get carried away.

Some links fade as quickly as they arrive. Mbaye’s has started to gather weight.

The Senegal international, just 18, suddenly finds himself squeezed at Paris Saint-Germain. The arrival of Maghnes Akliouche has pushed him down the pecking order, and the potential signing of Ferran Torres would nudge him even further towards the fringes. For a teenager already tasting first-team and international football, a season of cameos and cup minutes is hardly an appealing prospect.

PSG are ready to move him on. That much is clear.

Plenty of clubs have circled, but, according to a fresh update from Football Insider, Mbaye’s preference is now firmly set: he wants Liverpool.

“Ibrahim Mbaye is keen to join Liverpool this summer despite the growing interest from rival clubs, sources have told Football Insider,” the outlet reported, adding that the winger’s stance shifted once Andoni Iraola’s side made their interest public and the possibility of Anfield became real in his mind.

Bayer Leverkusen are also in the race and are pushing to agree terms with PSG, yet their pursuit could now run into a wall if the player continues to prioritise a move to the Premier League. As outlined on Football Insider’s Transfer Insider podcast, Mbaye “now has his eyes set” on Liverpool, with the Reds preparing an attempt to bring him in after being alerted to his availability.

From PSG’s side, the logic is brutal but simple: they are stacked with attacking options and harbour doubts about his long-term role. From Liverpool’s side, the logic is just as clear – they need a right-winger, and fast.

The Salah question and an 18-year-old answer

Strip away the noise and one problem towers above all others at Liverpool: where do the Mohamed Salah goals and assists come from now?

Since 2017, Salah has been the heartbeat of Liverpool’s attack, the man everything flowed through, the one constant in a forward line that evolved around him. Replacing that output is not a tidy, one-player job.

There are internal candidates. Some might grow into larger roles. But after last season’s performances, there is no guarantee that any of them can come close to replicating Salah’s numbers or his reliability.

Mbaye, on paper, fits the vacancy. A natural right-winger, already trusted enough to play an important role for PSG and Senegal in the 2025–26 season, he offers something Liverpool currently lack: a specialist on that flank with the profile to develop into a long-term solution.

He is 18. He is not going to walk in and immediately deliver 22 goal contributions in his first Premier League campaign. Expecting that would be fantasy.

What he can do, though, is contribute a meaningful share. If he hits even half of Salah’s recent output while the rest of Liverpool’s forwards collectively shoulder the burden, the club edges much closer to solving a problem that looked unsolvable the moment their “Egyptian King” began to fade from the picture.

Liverpool will not find another Salah. There is no like-for-like replacement for a player who defined an era. The only realistic strategy is to spread that responsibility across multiple players and multiple positions, with a talent like Mbaye anchoring the right side for years to come.

Now the decision moves from the player’s desire to the clubs’ negotiations. Mbaye is keen. PSG are open. Liverpool are preparing their move.

If they get this one over the line, Anfield might just have its next phenomenon in the making.