Photo: Squish Law / Pexels
Liverpool agrees to sign Djylian N’Guessan from Saint-Étienne for summer 2027
The 18-year-old French forward, who debuted professionally at 16, is set to join Anfield as Liverpool targets Europe's most promising youth talent before clubs can outbid them.
Liverpool has entered advanced negotiations with AS Saint-Étienne over the signing of Djylian N’Guessan, an 18-year-old French forward whose professional contract expires in June 2027. French outlet Foot Mercato reported the development on August 31, 2026, positioning this as a deal structured around N’Guessan’s contract situation rather than a traditional transfer fee negotiation.
Who is Djylian N’Guessan?
N’Guessan was born on August 30, 2008, which means he turned 18 just one day before Foot Mercato broke this story. He has been part of the Saint-Étienne academy since the age of seven. He signed his first professional contract with Saint-Étienne in November 2024, and by January 2025 he was already making his senior debut at just 16 years old.
The France youth setup has taken notice too. N’Guessan has represented Les Bleus at under-16, under-17, and under-20 levels, and his most prominent moment on the international stage came at the 2025 U20 World Cup, where France reached the semi-finals.
His current market valuation sits somewhere between €9 million and €12.5 million according to broader estimates, though Transfermarkt placed the figure at €4 million as of mid-2026.
The news moving money, markets, and the world—before your day starts.
Daily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy.
The Chelsea rebuff and what it signals
Liverpool is not the first heavyweight to come knocking. Chelsea submitted an €8 million bid for N’Guessan in December 2025, and Saint-Étienne rejected it. The club was reportedly seeking around €12.5 million at that point. Saint-Étienne is not in a comfortable position. The club was relegated to Ligue 2 and has faced ownership turbulence under Kilmer Sports Ventures.
Liverpool’s approach, targeting a deal timed around contract expiration rather than a flat acquisition fee, may prove to be the structure that finally gets this over the line. A player entering the final year of his contract gives his club progressively less leverage as the months pass. Saint-Étienne’s best-case outcome is agreeing to something now rather than watching N’Guessan walk for a nominal compensation fee next summer.
With negotiations ongoing as of late August 2026, the deal is not confirmed.