05 Aug 2026 11:45:40
Obviously we try to avoid talking about money, but looking at the 2 "young" wingers that we have been heavily linked with this year, Diomande and now Mbaye (I'm treating Barcola as more of an established senior player), to me the choice between the 2 of them is an easy one.
Diomande is 19, has made 42 senior appearances and Rbl are wanting over 100mill.
Mbaye is 18, has made 47 senior appearances, and PSG are apparently after 50mill.
Both of them have apparently got nightmare agents/parents hanging around them, but I think that is just a given now for these young starlets.
But when you realise that Mbaye has been getting his appearances in a team that also included Kvara, Barcola, Doue, Ramos, Muani, Lee, Dembele across the front line, to me he is definitely the stand out player of the 2, and for half the price, it's a bit of no brainer to me.
I genuinely think both of them will be superstars, but for me there is much much less risk with Mbaye and as a potential long term replacement for Salah, he would really excite me.
05 Aug 2026 12:21:07
Interesting when you put it like that, RD.
I had no idea Mbaye wanted out. He looks an exciting player and crazy strong.
05 Aug 2026 12:22:45
You talk a lot of sense, Red Dawn. I was certain Mbaye was a LW, so I couldn't see the point, but if, as Drac/ASB says, he plays RW and is two footed (kinda like Diomande), then I'm all for it.
05 Aug 2026 12:31:58
Mbaye is an exciting prospect if we get Barcola too for LW and keep Gakpo until at least Ekitike is fit to return, however, I would also be looking at Endrick, plays predominantly on RW and up top, better option if Cody is going to be sold as covers both positions well!
05 Aug 2026 12:37:39
I think if Mbaye is doable, then him and Barcola cover our up front needs for now.
Isak through the middle by himself for now.
In case of unavailability, we have options include Munoz, Barcola, Wirtz, Danns, Koumas, if needs be.
RW being Mbaye, with options of Barcola, Munoz, Szoboszlai, Frimpong, Koumas, Elliot.
LW being Barcola, with options of Rio, Munoz and Wirtz.
Some of our options are a step down and/or academy, but we're not going to be able to go 3-4 deep in all positions, we're not Chelsea!
Of course, if everyone except, say, Munoz gets injured, we're in the sheep, but that would be the case for any team!
05 Aug 2026 12:51:21
I think AI has no intention of using Szob on the wings. He will be an 8, and, if needs must or for tactical changes, a 10.
05 Aug 2026 13:02:11
MoT, I completely agree.
I am merely pointing out the options we have should, for example, we have an injury crisis up front like we had in 2020-21 in defence.
I'm sure Klopp didn't plan to use Fab or Hendo in defence, but that's what was needed.
I'm 99% certain we won't have a crisis (i.e. 5-6 of our forward line injured at the same time), but we don't need to have 5/6 layers of depth in specialist players in each position.
05 Aug 2026 13:18:56
Zed, Isak, Chiesa and Ekitike all being out at some point at the same point in the first half of the season is quite probable.
Just those 3 stretches the current depth.
05 Aug 2026 13:45:26
Fair enough, Zed. Otherwise, I tend to agree, though lack of cover for Isak makes me nervous. Such a shame Ekitike is injured.
05 Aug 2026 13:51:20
True, JK, but I already haven't included Ekitike as it will be Jan at the earliest.
Chiesa, I've excluded too, as I don't think he'll be with us.
Isak, therefore, needs someone more robust who can do the job, and I'd expect that to be Barcola or Munoz (who I see as a Jota type player) with further depth from Danns or Koumas.
05 Aug 2026 15:19:41
Whilst Barcola and Munoz can do a job up front, we need to be honest and ask, is that a title contention squad or are we just aiming for top 4. If we are serious about a title push, then we can’t go until Jan/Feb, relying on Isak up top and the rest filling gaps.
Not convinced on Gakpo through the middle, but he is better suited in the league to playing back up No 9 than Barcola and Munoz etc. I’ve watched quite a bit of Barcola over the past year, and he needs to stay wide and cut in or run from deep - in my opinion he would be swallowed up by a decent physical CB in the Premier League.
For me, keeping Gakpo is essential along with bringing in Barcola and a RW like Mbaye. Alternatively, we need our RW to also be more suited to covering that striker position such as Endrick? Not an obvious or easy solution out there, and I guess that’s why we seem to be taking our time, either way, it will be interesting to see where we land.