The Fiorentina midfielder Liverpool can't ignore

Cher Ndour is the kind of name that keeps appearing in Liverpool's orbit for a reason. The 22-year-old Fiorentina midfielder has been labelled 'unsellable' by La Repubblica, apparently the one player at the Stadio Artemio Franchi that the club would not entertain selling last summer. That is quite the billing, and it tells you everything about how highly Fiorentina regard him. It also tells you why Liverpool's reported interest is worth taking seriously.

The Italy international, who came through spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica before finding a home in Florence, has established himself as a genuine force in Serie A. A fee somewhere in the region of £30million is reportedly enough to prise him away, which feels reasonable for a player of his profile and age. Juventus and Crystal Palace are also said to be circling, so this is no straightforward pursuit. Worth noting too: PSG retain a 50 per cent sell-on clause from his £3.5million move to Fiorentina, meaning any deal would hand a tidy windfall back to Paris, which is unlikely to dampen Les Parisiens' enthusiasm for a transfer to go through.

The midfield context matters here. Wataru Endo is set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season, and question marks continue to hang over Alexis Mac Allister, who is approaching the final 18 months of his deal and was linked with a departure as recently as this summer. Ndour would not be a panic buy, he would be a considered, forward-thinking addition to an engine room that needs replenishing.

A record bid for Mexico's teenage sensation

If the Ndour story is intriguing, the Gilberto Mora report is something else entirely. TUDN have claimed Liverpool have submitted an offer worth in excess of £38million for the 17-year-old Tijuana forward, a fee that would make him the most expensive export in Liga MX history. That is a remarkable statement of intent for a player who will not even turn 18 until next Tuesday.

Mora is not just another teenage prospect with an inflated reputation. He became the youngest player ever to represent Mexico at a World Cup when he appeared for El Tri this summer, and his name has been linked with Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid since he first emerged as a schoolboy at Tijuana. He scored in a friendly against Colombia last month, though he was notably withdrawn from Mexico's other matches during the recent international break. According to TUDN, that decision came directly from Mexico manager Rafael Marquez with the transfer situation in mind, described in the report as 'an indication the deal is progressing.'

He operates primarily as an attacking midfielder but can also function on the left wing, giving him the kind of versatility that modern managers covet. A potential January move is reportedly being considered, though Liverpool will need to see off genuinely elite competition to get this one over the line. When Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all in the conversation, nothing is straightforward.

What Sunday's match means for all of this

Before any of this transfer noise becomes reality, Andoni Iraola's side have a rather pressing matter to attend to, Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday. Having climbed to sixth after recovering from a difficult start to the campaign, this is precisely the sort of fixture that will define the shape of Liverpool's season. Back-to-back wins have rebuilt some belief at the club, and the return from the international break against one of the division's heavyweights is the moment to prove that momentum is genuine.

Win that, and the January window will feel like an opportunity. Struggle, and the conversation around reinforcements becomes far more urgent. Either way, the business being done behind the scenes suggests Liverpool know what they need, and are already working to get it done.