Liverpool sign Djylian N'Guessan for €7.5m, Ligue 1 loan still to be arranged

Liverpool and AS Saint-Étienne have reached an agreement for the transfer of 18-year-old striker Djylian N’Guessan, a French U20 international, for €7.5 million. However, the deal remains subject to one condition: the player must be loaned to a Ligue 1 club until 2027 before joining England.

The obstacle is regulatory. Having reached its international loan quota, Liverpool cannot bring N’Guessan directly to the club without him first accumulating sufficient points towards a British work permit — which requires playing a season in the French top flight. The player was undergoing a medical examination at the time of the announcement.

According to L’Équipe, Liverpool’s management see in the Saint-Nazaire native a profile comparable to Hugo Ekitike, the Eintracht Frankfurt striker who is currently recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture sustained before the World Cup.

This deal is part of a busy end to the transfer window for Saint-Étienne. The Forez club has also officially confirmed the loan of Aïmen Moueffek to Cádiz until the end of the season, with a purchase option included. On the sporting front, ASSE has posted a solid record at the start of Ligue 2, with three wins in four matches.