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Romano said off. Liverpool disagree.
Fabrizio Romano said it was off. A rival journalist — described as closer to the situation — says an official Liverpool bid for PSG midfielder Ibrahim Mbaye is imminent. One of them is about to look very silly. **Editor's note: this story rests on a single Football365 report citing an unnamed journalist. It does not meet our standard two-source threshold. We're publishing with that caveat front and centre.**
Player
Ibrahim Mbaye — midfielder, Paris Saint-Germain.
Current club
PSG. Luis Enrique's squad is in the middle of a summer reshuffle, and Mbaye has been linked with an exit as the Parisians continue to reshape their midfield options.
Linked club
Liverpool. Arne Slot is building his second full squad at Anfield and has been active in midfield this window — Mbaye is the latest name in the mix.
Source
Football365, citing a journalist described as closer to the situation than Romano, reports that Liverpool are preparing an official opening bid and that the move is very much alive — directly contradicting Romano's earlier claim that a deal was 'off'.
Reliability
This sits at early-interest territory, and that's being generous. One outlet. One unnamed journalist. Mbaye hasn't featured heavily in the main transfer news cycle, and Romano's denial carries real weight given his track record. This report has not been independently corroborated by a second source. Until that changes, treat this as a live rumour — not a done deal, not even close.
What's being claimed
According to Football365, Liverpool have not walked away from a move for Mbaye despite Romano's 'off' verdict. The suggestion is that an official opening bid is being prepared, meaning the deal is at a more advanced stage than Romano's reporting implied. The framing is explicit: someone who knows the situation better says Romano got this one wrong.
What would make sense
A PSG-schooled midfielder landing at Anfield in the summer window fits the kind of profile Slot has gone after — someone who can handle the ball under pressure and keep things moving in tight spaces. If Mbaye fits that and PSG want to sell, the logic is there. The Romano denial is the complicating factor, not the destination.
What still needs to happen
Corroboration. A single unnamed source pushing back against Romano is a story, but it is not confirmation. Liverpool have not commented. PSG have not commented. Romano has not updated his position. Until one of those three things changes — or a second outlet with a named source backs the Football365 claim — this is a credibility battle with no winner yet.
Romano has been wrong before. So have the people who said he was wrong.
Sources1 source
Flagside's editors read every piece we publish. We work from the football press, write our own copy rather than reprinting anyone's, and check each article for accuracy and sourcing. Every outlet that fed into this piece is named under Sources.
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