Liverpool have been linked with a move for Egyptian youngster Ibrahim Adel, with his current club Pyramids FC welcoming the rumours.
It was reported by 90min that Liverpool, Arsenal, Brentford, Brighton and Nottingham Forest are all tracking the Egyptian winger, with Liverpool's Egyptian Mohamed Salah recommending Adel to the club. The Echo understands that Liverpool are aware of the winger's progress, but a move in January won't happen according to Pyramids FC director of football Mahmoud Fathallah.
“Ibrahim Adel is a huge talent for us and for Egyptian football,” he said to KingFut . “The rumours regarding the Liverpool interest in him is good, but there is nothing official happening relating to the matter.”
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So, if Liverpool were to make a move for the forward next summer, what could happen? How long could it take for the Egyptian to integrate into Jurgen Klopp 's side?
We 'signed' Ibrahim Adel for Liverpool
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Adel to sign for Liverpool in the 2023 summer transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation. We then simulated the next three seasons to see how long it could take for the 21-year-old to make his mark.
Liverpool's 2023/24 season with Ibrahim Adel
In his first season at the club, Liverpool opted to send Adel out on loan, with the youngster joining Oxford United in League One. Linking up with former Red Cameron Brannagan, Adel made 36 appearances for The U's, scoring 10 and assisting two in that time.
He also averaged a rating of 7.29 per game, showing the high level of performance he was producing. Back in Liverpool, the Reds won the Premier League title as they pipped Manchester City to the top spot by six points.
They also won the FA Cup after defeating Brighton and Hove Albion 4-0 in the final, but a 3-0 defeat to Inter Milan saw Klopp's side miss out in the final of the Champions League. The Reds drew Arsenal in the third round of the Carabao Cup, and the Gunners won on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time.
Liverpool's 2024/25 season with Ibrahim Adel
In the summer, Roberto Firmino, James Milner and Jordan Henderson were some of the big names that departed, whilst Aston Villa's Jacob Ramsey and Real Madrid's Federico Valverde were both signed. After his successful loan move away, Adel was kept at the club for the 2024/25 season, and the Egyptian became a member of the first team in the simulation.
The winger acted as a backup for both Mohamed Salah and Luiz Diaz, making 39 appearances in all competitions, coming off the bench in 22 of them. In those games, Adel grabbed nine goals - eight coming in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup.
In the simulated season, Liverpool won another FA Cup, with goals from Curtis Jones and Diaz securing a 2-0 win over Fulham in the final. The Reds were unsuccessful in the other competitions though as they lost to Man City in the Carabao Cup third round, the Champions League semi-finals and in the Premier League by just two points.
Liverpool's 2025/26 season with Ibrahim Adel
Liverpool made one signing in the summer transfer window with Joel Matip moving to Inter Milan and Stefan de Vrij heading to Anfield. In the 2025/26 season, Adel became a regular in Klopp's set-up, moving into the striker role to get more game time.
The transition worked a treat, and the Egyptian had an incredible season, playing 50 games and scoring 21 goals in all competitions. Interestingly, the youngster didn't assist once or even win a player of the match award, showcasing his pure goalscoring instinct.
Adel ended the season as the Premier League's third top scorer, with 18 of his 21 goals coming in the league, the other three coming in the Champions League. When compared to the rest of the Liverpool squad, Adel was only outscored by Salah.
Curtis Jones and Naby Keita were the next two top scorers as both midfielders had their best season in a Liverpool shirt, whilst Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota all underperformed. In the whole team, Adel had the eighth-best rating, with a lot of defenders impressing during the 2025/26 campaign.
At the end of the 2025/26 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Liverpool XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what it looked like:
Full Liverpool best XI: (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Valverde, Fabinho, Keita; Salah, Adel, Diaz.
Adel started in the striker role ahead of Jota and Nunez, whilst Diaz and Salah occupied the wings. Thiago, Jones and Ramsey all missed out on midfield, whilst Ibrahima Konate was selected as Virgil van Dijk's partner at the back.
Liverpool's results from the 2025/26 season with Adel in the squad
Liverpool were unable to win the Premier League in the 2025/26 season, finishing third and eight points behind leaders Manchester City. It was Klopp's worst league finish since Adel's arrival, with Arsenal finishing two points ahead in second.
Despite Salah and Adel scoring for fun, the low goal contribution from the rest of the team saw the Reds end the season as the third top scorers, but they did have the best defence in the league. But, Adel did help the Reds towards two trophies, including the Champions League.
After coming on in the second half, Nunez scored twice to lead Liverpool to a 2-0 win over Real Madrid in the final. A dominant 3-0 win over Southampton handed the Reds the Carabao Cup, but a 2-1 defeat to Man City ended the FA Cup run in the quarter-finals.
Overall, if Liverpool were to sign Ibrahim Adel, the Egyptian may take a while to settle in, but he could become a vital part of Liverpool's squad in his third season, leading the Reds' line to two trophies in one season. Dubbed the next Salah, Adel could replicate his national counterpart and make Klopp's side one of the deadliest in Europe, according to Football Manager!
Would you like to see Liverpool sign Adel? Let us know in the comments!
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