Liverpool agree deal for Saint-Etienne teenager Djylian N’Guessan

Liverpool have announced the signing of 18-year-old French forward Djylian N’Guessan from Saint-Etienne, with the move due to begin in January 2027.

N’Guessan will spend the second half of the season on loan at French club Brest before joining Liverpool at the start of the following campaign. The transfer is reported to have cost Liverpool about €5m.

The teenager has made 13 appearances for Saint-Etienne since making his first-team debut in January 2025, scoring one goal. His performances have also brought international recognition with France’s youth teams.

N’Guessan helped France finish fourth at last year’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup. He was also named the best player at the UEFA European Under-17 Championship after scoring four goals during the tournament.

Liverpool’s recruitment of N’Guessan adds another highly rated young player to the club’s long-term plans. The agreement means he will remain in France for the immediate future before moving to Anfield.

Liverpool name Champions League squad

Liverpool have also submitted their squad for this season’s UEFA Champions League.

Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have been left out of the European squad, while Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike have been included.

The squad named by Liverpool is:

Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman, Vitezslav Jaros.

Defenders: Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Jeremy Jacquet, Ronald Araujo, Giovanni Leoni, Isaac Mabaya, Milos Kerkez, Kostas Tsimikas, Luke Chambers, Conor Bradley, Isaac Mabaya, Jeremie Frimpong.

Midfielders: Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Victor Munoz, Ryan Gravenberch, James McConnell, Florian Wirtz.

Forwards: Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike, Bradley Barcola.

The squad announcement comes as Liverpool prepare for their Champions League campaign, with the club balancing immediate European ambitions and plans for the future.

N’Guessan’s move is structured to give him further first-team experience at Brest before he begins his Liverpool career. His development in France, together with his record for the national youth sides, has made him one of the players Liverpool have chosen to invest in for the years ahead.