Elsewhere on this site, you can read the profile of Djylian N’Guessan, the 18-year-old forward that Liverpool have announced an agreement with Saint-Étienne to sign in January. Given the obvious lack of options when Alexander Isak is either injured or needs a rest, the idea of bringing in a striker is something that most people wanted the club to do throughout the transfer window.
They refused, presumably not wanting to add another body to an attacking lineup that will welcome Hugo Ekitike back into it at some point. The signing of N’Guessan isn’t likely to assuage any fears, given he’s leaving on loan immediately.
Are the Powers That Be Writing Off This Season?
N’Guessan made his debut for the Saint-Étienne first team in the January of 2025, going on to make 13 appearances for the senior side after having risen through the ranks of the academy in France. He scored one goal for the team, with his form proving to be good enough for the French national team to add him to their list of players at the Under-20s World Cup in 2025, where he helped the team finish fourth. That came after he scored four goals in the Under-17s European Championship, being named in the Team of the Tournament for his exploits.
@lfcpeadarv7 Welcome to Liverpool Djylian N’Guessan 🇫🇷🔴🔜 #liverpool #Djylian #NGuessan #footballtiktok ♬ original sound – Peadar
Whilst that’s obviously all good news and it’s nice to see the Reds signing a player with bags of potential, it is all but impossible to look at the squad that Andoni Iraola has to work with for the forthcoming campaign and not feel as though it is lacking in several departments. No backup to Isak is just one area in which Liverpool need to improve, with the midfield also looking understocked and the ‘Head Coach’ lacking speedy wide options to work with. Similarly, I don’t think he’ll be delighted at the backup to Milos Kerkez, nor his right-back options.
As a result, it’s difficult not to think that the powers that be at Anfield have decided to all but write off this season, believing that anything we get should be seen as a bonus. The squad is in desperate need of fleshing out, whilst Iraola also needs time to settle into his role and get his methods across to the lads that are on the books. We have looked undercooked in both of the matches that we’ve played so far in the Premier League, which is something that the signing of a teenager who is immediately heading to Stade Brestois on loan is going to do little to assuage.
