Liverpool and Ibrahim Mbaye: Lewis Steele Explains Confusion Over PSG Forward
Liverpool’s interest in PSG forward Ibrahim Mbaye remains one of the more difficult transfer stories to read, with conflicting information emerging from England and France over exactly where matters stand.
Speaking to Dave Davis on the latest Media Matters podcast for Anfield Index, journalist Lewis Steele addressed those conflicting accounts directly and admitted there is considerable uncertainty surrounding Liverpool’s position.
The discussion came after Davis highlighted reports claiming Liverpool had reached an agreement with Mbaye over personal terms, while senior figures at the club were said to be playing down the extent of their interest.
Liverpool and PSG sending different messages
Davis referenced reports from France suggesting that Liverpool had reached an agreement with Ibrahim Mbaye over the financial terms of a five year contract.
He then pointed to a different account from England, where Liverpool figures were said to insist that their interest had been exploratory and that suggestions of agreed personal terms were incorrect.
Asked where he stood on the situation, Steele gave a particularly revealing answer.
“I’ve heard both sides of the story from Liverpool and I’ve seen the French reports and I have to say I don’t have a clue where to stand on it.”
That uncertainty formed the central theme of the discussion.
Steele continued:
“They’re not saying Liverpool are basically completely dismissing the fact that they they want him.”
He then raised the possibility that the competing versions of events could simply reflect the usual positioning that takes place during transfer negotiations.
“PSG briefing one thing, Liverpool briefing the other. That’s often the case here.”
Mbaye situation difficult to interpret
Normally, Steele suggested, it is possible to work through conflicting briefings and reach a reasonable conclusion about what is happening behind the scenes.
With Ibrahim Mbaye, he was far less certain.
“Normally you can sort of read between the lines into what’s going on, but this one not so sure.”
Steele also considered why Liverpool might have reasons for playing down their interest.
“Obviously maybe they don’t want to show the hand and and then they get a reduced fee for Gapo if they were to sell him or the the Barcola situation.”
That reference to Bradley Barcola is particularly relevant because Liverpool’s interest in the PSG winger was another major subject of the Media Matters discussion.
Steele did not claim to know that Liverpool were deliberately concealing their Mbaye plans, however. Instead, he stressed the limits of what he had been told.
“Can only go with the from what from what I’ve heard and it is that it was only exploratory.”
Yet even that information did not leave him completely convinced.
Steele remains firmly on the fence
The way Liverpool have previously operated in the transfer market clearly informed Steele’s reluctance to draw a firm conclusion.
He said:
“I’m really reluctant to believe that given you know what how we know Liverpool operate and how we know and what we’ve read in the French report.”
His eventual assessment was therefore deliberately cautious.
“So I’m very much on the fence with it to be honest.”
Steele then returned to the same theme running throughout Liverpool’s remaining transfer business, waiting for developments over the coming days.
“Again, let’s see what happens in the next few days.”
He also acknowledged that Liverpool’s position could have changed.
“Liverpool obviously wanted him a week ago, so it could change.”
His final observation perhaps best captured the lack of clarity surrounding Liverpool, PSG and Ibrahim Mbaye.
“There’s some strangeness going on behind the scenes.”
Photo: IMAGO
Barcola arrival could influence Liverpool plans
Later in the conversation, Steele returned briefly to Liverpool’s forward recruitment while discussing what could happen with Cody Gakpo.
He suggested Liverpool could still sign Barcola alongside another attacker, although he was careful not to state that Mbaye would definitely be that player.
“If Liverpool get Barcola plus one other maybe it’s not Mbaye, maybe it’s another forward that we don’t know about yet.”
That leaves Liverpool’s interest in Ibrahim Mbaye unresolved.
The French reporting discussed on Anfield Index suggested considerable progress, while the message Steele had heard from the Liverpool side remained far more cautious.
For now, his position was clear, there are competing accounts, no definitive conclusion and, as Steele put it, “some strangeness going on behind the scenes.”