After only a few training sessions, Liverpool must be confident that they have pulled off a fantastic signing in the form of Victor Munoz, who looks sharp and dynamic and dangerous.
The 23-year-old World Cup winner is skilled down both wings, and he starred as one of the biggest breakout stars in Spain last season, with talent scout Jacek Kulig asserting that the “late bloomer” is heading “straight to the top”.
Prior to last season, Munoz had limited experience at the highest level, and across that first full La Liga campaign, scored seven goals and created five assists. Barcelona were keen on signing the Real Madrid youth player, and Newcastle United came within a whisker before Liverpool hijacked the deal in June.
Munoz has joined Liverpool in a £35.5m deal. He might be a late bloomer, but he is the real deal. However, the Reds are prepared to go in the other direction too, picking Ibrahim Mbaye as their prime choice to replace Mohamed Salah at right wing.
Why Mbaye is ready for the Premier League
Mbaye is 18 years old, and so spending a shedload on him this summer will come with inescapable risks. However, there’s a real sense that Mbaye is ready for the Premier League, that he could actually replace Salah.
He has, after all, spent the first two years of his senior career learning the ropes at the greatest outfit of their time, featuring 42 times for PSG and notching four goals and assists each. Fast and direct, the Senegal international has the potential to become a superstar.
Will Liverpool sign him? Luis Enrique’s frontline is chock-full, and there is little room for a developing talent such as this one, so PSG are reluctantly willing to sanction his sale for around £43m.
Down the line, that could prove quite the bargain. Mbaye has the physicality, athleticism and attitude to succeed in the Premier League, and the dynamic approach Iraola is taking would see the likes of Munoz, Federico Chiesa and Ngumoha cover when need be.
However, the Reds persuasion can’t shake the sense that they need a bit more. A marquee signing, perhaps?
Liverpool expect to reach agreement for perfect Mbaye partner
Salah was a shell of himself last season, but the ramifications of that decline were widely felt at Anfield. Liverpool hadn’t replaced Luis Diaz out wide, and Cody Gakpo flattered to deceive throughout Arne Slot’s second season.
A freshen-up is long overdue, and Liverpool have thus made PSG superstar Bradley Barcola their top target this summer. It’s turning into a protracted saga, but according to L’Equipe, they have reached a contractual agreement with the player and his representatives.
This is a significant development, though club-to-club talks are ongoing regarding a transfer fee. PSG want €150m (£132m) for their attacker’s signature, but FSG have no intention of surpassing the British-record fee paid to sign Alexander Isak one year ago.
Though the parties are a distance apart from each other, there is a shared sense of optimism that an agreement can be found in the coming weeks.
Mbaye’s match action in Ligue 1 was limited last season, but he made himself known to the masses, and though he’s behind Barcola in his development, there are a number of striking similarities that bode well for him as he continues to go from strength to strength.
|
League Comparison 25/26 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (* per 90) |
Mbaye |
Barcola |
|
Matches (starts) |
24 (10) |
29 (21) |
|
Goals + Assists |
3 + 2 |
11 + 1 |
|
Shots (on target)* |
1.0 (0.4) |
2.3 (1.1) |
|
Accurate passes* |
20.5 (86%) |
20.8 (83%) |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
11 |
|
Key passes* |
0.8 |
1.3 |
|
Possession lost* |
7.8 |
9.2 |
|
Succ. dribbles* |
0.9 |
1.2 |
|
Ball recoveries* |
1.7 |
2.0 |
|
Tackles + interceptions* |
0.8 |
1.6 |
|
Duels won* |
2.2 |
3.0 |
Such direct and naturally creative wingers could be perfect for the fast-flowing football Iraola is trying to establish. Barcola has scored 34 goals across two Champions League-winning seasons with PSG, and he has only been outscored by Ousmane Dembele. But he is not just a marksman. He is fast and furious, and the fact he supplied only one assist in the league last season with such strong underlying data is criminal.
By placing these two wingers, already well-acquainted, on either flank at Liverpool, Iraola will have all he needs to mount a title challenge across four fronts. Ambitious? Sure. But Liverpool are an ambitious club.
Barcola’s reputation as one of the most talented wingers in the world could see him prove the difference-maker in fighting for titles. Mbaye would continue to learn from him, and both would raise the bar on Merseyside.
Liverpool are right at the start of the Iraola era, and a nervous kind of anticipation is in the air. If Liverpool manage to pull off a double deal for Barcola and Mbaye, they would take not a step but a giant leap in the title-winning direction they so desperately need.