Sadio Mane has already told Liverpool why they should sign 'exceptional' Ibrahim Mbaye

Ibrahim Mbaye might only be 18 years old but he already boasts quite the C.V. He is a two-time Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain, and has also won two Ligue 1 titles with the Parisians.

Throw in a Coupe de France, European Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup and it has not been a bad couple of years for the teenager, since breaking into Luis Enrique's first team squad at the start of the 2024/25 season.

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The forward has made 42 appearances for PSG to date, returning four goals and four assists. Yet he could be forgiven for craving something more.

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Despite catching the eye in Paris, he has been limited to just 15 starts to date. And with competition for places set to become even steeper at the Parc des Princes, the highly-rated winger now looks set for pastures new.

He is one of a number of players currently under consideration by Liverpool as the Reds look to bolster their attacking options. Reports in France claim he favours a move to Anfield despite more advanced interest from Bayer Leverkusen, while he was also of interest to RB Leipzig when PSG were pursuing a move for Yan Diomande.

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Only time will tell if Liverpool are to firm up their interest in Mbaye. But as the Reds weigh up their options, the Senegalese has already received one ringing endorsement from an Anfield legend.

Despite representing France at youth level, Mbaye received his first call-up by Senegal last November. Claiming a goal and two assists on his full debut in an 8-0 friendly win over Kenya, his request to switch international allegiance was approved by FIFA the following month ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Playing alongside former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane for the Teranga Lions, he did not take long to catch his compatriot's eye.

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Mane scored a hat-trick in the aforementioned friendly win over Kenya, with Mbaye assisting his first goal.

Taking such form into the AFCON tournament in Morocco, the 17-year-old became Senegal's youngest ever player to feature in the competition when brought on in their opening match against Botswana,

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He then assisted Mane again in Senegal's second game of the tournament. Introduced off the bench straight after his nation had fallen 1-0 behind to DR Congo, it took Mbaye just seven minutes to make an impact as Senegal earned a 1-1 draw.

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Asked about the starlet after the final whistle, Mane said: "Seventeen years old and at this level, I think it's impressive. He has a bright future ahead of him.

"We will try to help him find the right rhythm so that he can help us even more, because he is an exceptional player."

Winning a penalty in Senegal's next game as they won 3-0 against Benin, Mbaye then scored his first AFCON goal off the bench in a 3-1 victory over Sudan in the round-of-16.

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Assisted by Mane, he became his country's youngest ever goalscorer at the Africa Cup of Nations in the process. Once again, the former Liverpool star praised Mbaye after the final whistle.

"It's a pleasure to give him a pass," he said. "I think we know each other very well.

"When I saw him, his speed was incredible. I just had to put it in front of him. He capitalised on the defender's mistake. He scored the goal. We're all happy for him."

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Senegal went on to win the AFCON final against Morocco, only to be later stripped of the title by CAF after storming off the bench in controversial scenes after their opponents were awarded a penalty in stoppage-time. It remains to be seen if their appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport will be successful to see them restored as continental champions.

In the meantime, Mbaye has continued to make an impact for his country. He scored on his World Cup debut against France, becoming their youngest World Cup player and the youngest African goalscorer in the tournament's history in the process.

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With Mane having already confirmed he would retire from international football following the World Cup, there is now a vacancy in the Senegal attack that Mbaye will look to fill.

Hoping to become a talisman for his country, only time will tell if he is to follow in Mane's footsteps at Anfield also.

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