Ousseynou Ba: Things to Know and Where He Might Fit in at Liverpool

On Monday, we had reports from Greece claiming Liverpool were interested in ​Olympiacos left-back Kostas Tsimikas, and we're going to stay in Piraeus for our next trip down Speculation Alley.

Meet Senegalese defender Ousseynou Ba. Get familiar with his name (particularly his first) because there's a very good chance you'll be seeing it in connection with ​Liverpool, and particularly ​Sadio Mané, quite a lot in the weeks and months ahead. 

Why's that? Well, we're glad you finally asked. 

​What's the Story? 

The bones of it comes from a report originating in Greek outlet ​​Sportime​, which claims Liverpool's scouting department have been turned onto Ba by his countryman ​Mané.

It's said that Olympiacos' 'end goal' is to move the defender on to an English club, since that's the market from which the club's hierarchy feel they can attain the highest possible transfer fee. 

Ba, meanwhile, is allegedly keen on a move, and although the specifics of the story aren't clear (Greek is a tricky language to translate and things can get misinterpreted) the general vibe seems to be that he has sounded out Olympiacos sporting director Pierre Isa over a move away. 

It's noted further that his agency group, Stellar, represents Saul Niguez, Ben Chilwell, Jordan Pickford and Mason Mount... because that's relevant, apparently. 

Mané's Role

The Greek media seem keen to make a big deal of Ba's apparent close friendship with Mané, with claims the forward has actively approached the ​Liverpool recruitment team about a potential move for Ba. 

In addition to the Sportime report, ​SDNA have regurgitated newspaper reports emanating a similar sentiment; that Mané 'adores' Ba, and his enthusiasm about the player is beginning to rub off on others at Anfield. 

Another Greek outlet in ​Tanea, meanwhile, have run with a fairly shallow story about Ba sending Mané a happy birthday message via Instagram after he turned 28 on Friday. That report doesn't actually mention Liverpool's interest, but the subtext is clearly there. 

Again, Greek is difficult, so it's not clear how much is being lost in translation, but all the reports seem to be saying the same thing; that there is interest from Liverpool, and Mané is actively keen on a move for his compatriot. 

What's He Like?

​At 24 years old, Ba still has a few years to adjust his game before he hits his peak, but what little information there is available on him suggests he's a classic central defender.

His obvious attribute is his aerial presence; at 6'4, it's hard to imagine Liverpool losing many headers with him and Virgil van Dijk in the same team. 

His stature being what it is, he's never going to be lightning-quick, but he is said to be half decent in possession. 'He's got good feet for a big lad', shouts Andy Townsend from the back of the room. 

Ba's Background

Though 24, Ba is only in his third season of professional football, and has made less than 100 senior appearances, and that lack of experience might come as a mild concern. 

He was picked up from an academy in Senegal by Ligue 2 side GFC Ajaccio, and after impressing with his physicality and composure over 18 months in the French lower leagues, Olympiacos moved in with a £450k bid in January 2019, before loaning him back for the remainder of the season. 

He initially took his time to hit the ground running in Greece - something he would have to do again were Liverpool to come calling - but after featuring just once in the Super League leaders' first 12 matches, he has missed one of 14 since. 

He missed out on their Champions League group campaign after Pedro Martins opted against registering him from the off, but his domestic performances earned him a place in the squad for the Europa League knockout phase, and he has played in every minute of their three games since; the full tie against Arsenal, and the first leg against Wolves. 

It's probably no surprise, then, that Liverpool seem to know exactly who he is. 

Where Would He Fit at Liverpool?

​It's a reasonable certainty that his arrival would require the departure of one of Dejan Lovren or Joel Matip, but a source told 90min ​back in February that Liverpool were considering the sale of one of those two to be replaced by a young centre-back - and Ba seems to fit that jigsaw quite nicely. 

The fee in question is reported to be around the £18m mark, and that might seem a little on the steep side for a player who would effectively be a squad option to begin with, as neither Van Dijk or Joe Gomez look like vacating their starting spots. Klopp and Michael Edwards have never shied away from an educated risk, however, and with a potential Lovren departure financing the lion's share of this one, it is very much in the realms of feasibility. 

Otherwise, he's almost the ideal Klopp signing. He's young enough that he remains malleable, he's not incredibly expensive, he wouldn't require a huge salary, and he doesn't seem to have a huge ego; check, check, check and check. 

So yeah, this does make a lot of sense.

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