Liverpool announce £4.3m signing of Djylian N’Guessan from Saint-Etienne three days after transfer window shuts

LIVERPOOL have completed the signing of Saint-Etienne striker Djylian N’Guessan – who has been labelled as the new Hugo Ekitike. The forward, 18, has been signed for a fee of £4.3 million and will spend the rest of the 2026/27 season on loan at Ligue 1 side Stade Brestois. Djylian N’Guessan is heading to Liverpool next summer after a deal was agreed with Saint-Etienne Credit: Getty The Reds are already making plans to ensure they do not feel the impact of another Hugo Ekitike’s injury Credit: Getty Images – Getty N’Guessan has only played 13 times for Saint-Etienne’s first team, but has a brilliant record for France‘s youth teams. He has 23 goals in 32 caps at Under-16 and U17 level and was named in the Team of the Tournament at last summer‘s U17 European Championship after bagging four goals. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! The Frenchman is expected to join up with the Liverpool squad next summer but will join the club on a permanent transfer in January. N’Guessan is the son of Dany, who played for ten Football League clubs, including Leicester City and Millwall in the Championship, between 2006 and 2016. Should the younger NGuessan’s performances at Brest impress enough, he could even go to Merseyside midway through this season. Able to find space between the lines and a good target man, he has been described as a mix between Ekitike and new Juventus star Jonathan David. Former France U16 coach Lionel Rouxel told the Guardian: “He’s a player with two characteristics for the top level – he plays deep and moves quite well between the lines.” He added: “Djylian is also a box player, who has progressed and is becoming a goalscorer.” Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Fellow Frenchman Ekitike will be out until early 2027 with an ACL injury. The two forwards may even be able to play together next year, should Andoni Iraloa be willing to experiment. With the arrival of Bradley Barcola this summer too, the Reds are building a strong French core in their attack. N’Guessan joined Saint-Etienne aged seven and has only scored one goal for the men’s first team, but has been regarded as an elite talent since his early teenage years. Comment now