Mexico’s new talent has become the top target for Europe’s biggest clubs – and Liverpool have now thrown themselves into the race for his signature.
Gilberto Mora, the young Tijuana player who has shone in the 2026 World Cup, has started to attract the attention of several European big clubs. He is one of Andoni Iraola’s new wishful players for his future at Anfield.
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Small (168 cm) quick and extremely technical, many say he looks like Lionel Messi
Liverpool’s recruitment department has initiated a thorough monitoring of the playmaker following his performances at this year’s World Cup, where he became the youngest player ever to participate in the championship. His maturity in the last eight against Ecuador set off alarms across Europe – and forced the British talent scouts to act to establish formal channels of communication with the 17-year-old’s entourage.
Liverpool enters the bidding round
The strategic plan of the Merseyside club is to get ahead of other European powers, while also taking advantage of the club’s excellent reputation to develop young talent.
According to revelations from Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Liverpool lead an exclusive group of five Premier League giants who are all vying for the attacking midfielder’s services. Arne Slot’s team will have to compete at the negotiating table against Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea – making this one of the most intense transfer battles of the summer.
Liverpool’s top management is confident that legal deadlines will play into their hands in this bureaucratic game. The playmaker turns 18 in October – a crucial date that will give him FIFA’s regulatory approval to complete a move to Europe and join training in the January window.
Although the player recently extended his contract with Tijuana until 2029 – with the highest salary in the club’s history – the deal contains an outright unilateral buyout clause for European football.
Why Liverpool want him
Liverpool’s decision to speed up the process is due to in-depth data analysis carried out by the club’s big data department. Gilberto Mora stunned FotMob analysts with a 90.5% pass accuracy at the World Cup, while creating four clear scoring chances.
His definitive breakthrough came at the iconic Estadio Azteca, where he started under Javier Aguirre and delivered an assist to Raúl Jiménez – before being substituted to a standing ovation.
The positional versatility of the Mexican midfielder is another of his great methodical virtues. Although he naturally plays in the opponent’s final third, his immense tactical intelligence allows him to also operate as a ball distributor or winger on both sides of Tijuana’s system.
Long-term planning at Anfield
Negotiations between England and Baja California will escalate considerably during the hot month of July. The current valuation of the player’s rights exceeds €40 million at Xolos – a respectable amount that Liverpool are fully prepared to consider carefully to secure their sporting future.
Internally, the player has indicated that he will not rush an international transfer, but rather wait patiently to complete his obligations in Mexico for the rest of the year – giving Liverpool’s technical department an ideal window to streamline their bureaucratic work without making impulsive mistakes.
The coming weeks will be crucial to formalize institutional pre-agreements and move forward with payment guarantees to the Mexican club. Liverpool’s management is convinced that they have identified a unique generational talent – and are willing to make all the necessary financial outlays to secure Gilberto Mora before the summer is over.
In doing so, they can also prevent their British rivals from running away with the jewel – and secure the midfield’s future at Merseyside’s dream theatre.
Read on F7: Italian Gazzetta’s reflections on World Cup quarter-finals, including Norway vs. Brazil
Mexico plays England in the World Cup on Monday night. – The winner of that match will face either Brazil or Norway, it will be decided on Sunday.
