Liverpool have been rocked, not just by their early season form but by the news that Cody Gakpo could leave.
It’s a puzzling situation really. The Dutchman has started the new campaign as one of the club’s best players, scoring against Newcastle a week ago and then assisting Alexander Isak’s strike against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Alas, after weeks of speculation linking him with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, it is Manchester City who now look the most likely to sign him.
That said, an exit will not be sanctioned until the Reds acquire a replacement. That replacement could be Ismaila Sarr.
Why Liverpool want Ismaila Sarr
For the vast majority of this summer window, the order of the day for Premier League clubs has been to sign midfielders. It would be fair to say a whole truck load of cash has been spent in that regard.
Yet, the window is ending with plenty of wingers on the move. Liverpool have sealed a move for PSG winger Bradley Barcola while Savinho and Omar Marmoush have both joined Tottenham. That has been the domino City needed to launch an official move for Gakpo.
In Sarr, they would be getting their hands on a cracking replacement, primarily as he’s caused the Anfield club a heap of problems when playing against them.
Indeed, throughout his career to date, the Crystal Palace star has simply loved playing against Liverpool. In fact, there is only one club, Aston Villa, whom Sarr has scored more goals versus.
Against the Villans, the Senegalese winger has netted eight goals in eight games. Against Liverpool, he has bagged seven goals in ten games. He’s been a real livewire.
The 28-year-old is no one trick pony, however. Plenty have felt his wrath, particularly over the last year.
2025/26 ended up being the forward’s best season in professional football. As Palace won the Conference League, Sarr scored 21 goals in 43 games in all competitions.
Thus, as Liverpool bid to replace both Gakpo and Mohamed Salah, he could be the perfect goalscoring and proven wide attacker for Andoni Iraola.
But, perhaps there is a more exciting signing in the pipeline.
£130m star is the perfect Sarr alternative for Liverpool
Liverpool have tried hard to replace Salah this summer but it hasn’t exactly been plain sailing for Iraola during his first transfer window in charge.
Barcola may well be on the verge of arriving but they have missed out on plenty of targets at the same time. Anthony Gordon headed to Barcelona early in the window, Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh looks set to stay at the Amex and Ibrahim Mbaye is on his way to Aston Villa.
As a result, Liverpool have needed alternatives, one of which is Sarr. Another is Bournemouth winger Rayan.
The interest in the Brazilian is not new and it is no surprise to see they are keen, particularly with Iraola now at the helm.
The latest on a potential move, according to journalist Matt Thielin, is that the Merseysiders held recent talks with Bournemouth concerning the availability of Rayan. Liverpool had planned to make a move next summer but Gakpo’s potential exit has fast tracked matters.
The 20-year-old is believed to have a £130m release clause in his contract that becomes active in 2027 and if a move were to be pursued now, it would likely take a considerable fee to bring him to Anfield.
So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, trusted with replacing Antoine Semenyo at the Vitality Stadium last winter after his move to City, Rayan made an almighty impact on the south coast.
He ultimately only scored five goals and supplied two assists in 15 appearances after making the move but his performances were captivating. Possessing a wirey and gangly 6 foot 2 frame, the youngster is tall for a winger and perhaps boasts a profile more associated with playing as a striker.
That may come in time but for now, the Brazil international is firmly a wide player and a phenomenal one at that. Truly one of the best young players in the Premier League right now, he outranks the aforementioned Sarr in a whole host of metrics.
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Rayan vs Sarr: 2025/26 Premier League stats |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Rayan |
Sarr |
|
Non-penalty goals |
0.40 |
0.25 |
|
Shots |
2.25 |
1.99 |
|
Open play expected assists |
0.15 |
0.05 |
|
Open play big chances created |
0.24 |
0.12 |
|
Shot-ending carries |
1.13 |
0.79 |
|
Successful dribbles |
1.05 |
0.45 |
|
Progressive carries |
3.70 |
1.78 |
|
Progressive passes |
2.33 |
1.36 |
During Rayan’s short time in English football to date, he has already proven he is one of the most efficient wingers out there.
The young flanker tallied up 0.40 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes last season, ranking him among the top 10% of positionally similar players in Europe for that statistic.
He’s not just handy in front of goal but he’s also a far better dribbler and carrier of the ball than Sarr. In fact, in that regard, the latter is one of the worst in Europe.
The Eagles star ranked among the lowest 4% of wide players in Europe’s top five leagues last season for successful dribbles per 90.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Sure, he may have racked up over 20 goals in all competitions but his Premier League displays were certainly not as efficient or as captivating as Rayan’s were. Consider the latter has only just moved out of his teenage years too, and there is a strong belief that he could become one of the best wingers around in the years to come.
For Liverpool, it would no doubt take another hefty fee to lure him away from the Cherries but in their pursuit of a Salah and Gakpo replacement, he ticks plenty of boxes.