Liverpool’s transfer window has been defined by frustration, indecision, and a failure to replace Mohamed Salah at right wing before the deadline arrives.
FSG are weighing up whether to sanction the £85m sale of Cody Gakpo to Manchester City, with the Dutch forward’s move not yet finalised as the window enters its final hours.
Gakpo joined Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 and has been a reliable contributor, but the club appears willing to move him on once a suitable wide replacement is identified.
The problem is that Liverpool still have no confirmed Salah successor, a situation that has drawn significant criticism given the Egyptian’s departure was long anticipated.
Efforts to sign Yan Diomande earlier in the window collapsed when the Ivorian winger rejected Liverpool in favour of Paris Saint-Germain, before ultimately signing for Real Madrid in a record-breaking deal.
Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr has been considered, with the Eagles quoting Liverpool a fee of £75m for the Senegalese forward, who scored 21 times in all competitions for title-winning Palace last season.
However, Sarr managed just nine Premier League goals, and many feel that fee would represent poor value for a player who is a decade older than Liverpool’s most exciting reported alternative.
According to recent reports from France, Chelsea’s Estevao Willian has emerged as Liverpool’s dream target, with talks being held “in the past 24 hours”, said one reporter on Sunday evening.
Chelsea signed Estevao from Palmeiras for an initial £29m fee and have no intention of selling, with Manchester City previously told it would take a fee in excess of £100m to secure the Brazilian’s signature.
Analyst Ben Mattinson has touted the 19-year-old as a “future Ballon d’Or winner”, underlining the scale of ambition involved in pursuing such a target this late in the window.
Last season, Estevao scored two goals and supplied two assists in the Premier League, playing 22 times and starting 12 matches as he continued to adjust to English football.
His flair, pace, and natural ability on the right wing make him the type of player manager Andoni Iraola could develop into a genuine star over the coming seasons at Anfield.
Whether Liverpool can force through a nine-figure deal before the window closes remains deeply uncertain, with Chelsea firmly resistant to selling one of their most prized assets.
But if Gakpo’s £85m exit is confirmed, Liverpool will have the financial muscle to make a serious move and give Iraola the dynamic right winger his system demands.