N’Guessan will officially become a Liverpool player in January. Javier Torres / AFP via Getty ImagesSept. 4, 2026 Updated Liverpool have wrapped up a €5million (£4.3m; $5.8m) deal for the French striker Djylian N’Guessan.The 18-year-old has signed a pre-contract agreement and will officially become a Liverpool player in January.N’Guessan is joining from Saint-Etienne of Ligue 2 but will spend the first half of this season on loan at Brest in Ligue 1. In January, Liverpool will have the option of bringing him to the club, leaving him at Brest or loaning him somewhere else for the rest of the season.Liverpool could not have signed N’Guessan this summer and loaned him out themselves, as they have already used up their six international loans. Come January, Fabian Mrozek’s loan at FC Cincinnati will have finished, so there will be a loan space available. He would also be eligible for a work permit to play in the UK by then.How Bradley Barcola went from Lyon’s B-team to European superstarReuben Pinder and Trevor CapelN’Guessan is recognised as an exciting forward who can play through the middle or in the wide positions.
Liverpool have monitored his progress for some time and he stood out in the 2025 UEFA Under-17 Championship in Albania, where he was named in the team of the tournament.The transfer was pursued by Liverpool’s global talent team, led by Matt Newberry, who is responsible for deciding which youngsters from overseas should be targeted for a move to Anfield when they turn 18.Earlier this year, the work of Liverpool’s global talent department also led to the signings of Mor Talla Ndiaye from Amitie FC, Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna and Samuel Martinez from Colombian team Atletico Nacional.Goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans, 18, also joined from Belgian side Genk this week in a deal worth around €35m.
