Liverpool have agreed a €5m deal to sign 18-year-old forward Djylian N'Guessan from Saint-Étienne, with the player set to formally arrive at Anfield in January 2027. Under the terms of the agreement, the French youth international will spend the 2026-27 season on loan at Ligue 1 side Stade Brestois before his permanent registration transfers to England. The move represents another long-term recruitment step as Liverpool continue to secure elite teenage talent.
The registration workaround explained
According to the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool had to employ an unusual transfer structure to secure N'Guessan's signature. Having already exhausted their permitted allocation of international loan slots—following Harvey Elliott's season-long loan move to Valencia—the club could not sign N'Guessan and immediately loan him out of England. To bypass this restriction, Saint-Étienne retained the striker's registration for the 2026-27 campaign, facilitating a loan to Brest. The permanent transfer to Liverpool will officially activate in January, securing his long-term future on Merseyside.
International pedigree and forward pipeline
N'Guessan's contract at Saint-Étienne was due to expire in June 2027, forcing the French club to negotiate a sale to avoid losing him for free. Since making his senior debut in January 2025, the forward has established himself as one of France's most promising prospects. He scored four goals to earn a place in the Team of the Tournament at the 2025 Under-17 European Championship and subsequently featured at the 2025 Under-20 World Cup. Following Fabrizio Romano's initial reporting of the deal, Liverpool confirmed the agreement, ensuring N'Guessan will eventually join a forward line currently overseen by head coach Andoni Iraola.
