Liverpool may have missed out on another attacking target after Aston Villa reportedly moved ahead of them for Ibrahim Mbaye.
Indykaila News has claimed that Liverpool were told they had been too slow in their pursuit of the Paris Saint-Germain youngster, with Aston Villa now agreeing terms with the French champions for the highly-rated winger.
The report has since been followed by wider reports that Villa have reached an agreement in principle with PSG for Mbaye, reportedly worth around €55m (£47m).
If the deal goes through, it will be a frustrating development for Liverpool.
Mbaye was on Liverpool’s radar
Mbaye has been a player Liverpool have been seriously considering as they looked for another attacking option.
The 18-year-old was viewed as one of the alternatives to Bradley Barcola and Liverpool had reportedly explored the possibility of bringing him to Anfield.
The Reds had even been reported to have verbally agreed personal terms with the teenager.
But agreeing terms with a player is only half the battle.
Liverpool still needed to reach an agreement with PSG.
And now Aston Villa appear to have moved faster.
The transfer window waits for nobody
This is the frustrating thing about transfer windows.
You can spend weeks analysing a player, discussing his value and deciding whether to make an offer.
But another club can come along and simply make the move.
That appears to be what Villa have done.
While Liverpool were weighing up their options, Villa seemingly decided that Mbaye was someone they wanted and pushed ahead.
Football doesn’t wait for you to make up your mind.
Could Liverpool have acted sooner?
That’s the question Liverpool supporters will inevitably ask.
The Reds have been searching for another winger for much of the summer.
They have looked at Minteh.
They have explored Ismaila Sarr.
They considered Mbaye.
And now, with the transfer window approaching its conclusion, one of those options could be disappearing.
Of course, Liverpool shouldn’t sign a player simply because another club wants him.
But if Mbaye was genuinely considered a priority target, there will be disappointment if Villa complete the deal.
Villa reportedly ready to pay
The reported €55m (£47m) package is significant for an 18-year-old who is still developing, but Villa clearly believe Mbaye is worth the investment.
Liverpool have already demonstrated this summer that they are willing to spend huge amounts when they believe a player is worth it.
So the question isn’t necessarily whether Liverpool could afford Mbaye.
It’s whether they believed he was worth the asking price.
Liverpool now need to move on
If Mbaye is heading to Villa, Liverpool cannot afford to waste time dwelling on it.
The Reds still need attacking depth.
And with the deadline approaching, the list of available targets is getting smaller by the hour.
There is no point waiting for the perfect player if the perfect player doesn’t become available.
Liverpool need to identify their next option and move quickly.
Because the biggest lesson from this saga may be the simplest one:
Don’t hesitate when you know what you want.
Aston Villa apparently didn’t.
And Liverpool may now be paying the price for being too slow.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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