Liverpool official makes special visit as new transfer NEARS

One of Liverpool's key officials was spotted in Egypt this week on a special visit.

Kyle Wallbanks was at the U20 African Cup of Nations tournament as reported by Egyptian sources. We wrote about why he was at the tournament here.

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But now we want to take a look at what his presence means. Wallbanks was of course appointed as the club's Global Talent Manager back in November.

His mission is to find talent all around the world. That's why Anfield Watch exclusively revealed that he was at the U20 Sudamericana back in January and February of this year.

Wallbanks at the time was taking a look at Deinner Ordonez from Ecuador as revealed exclusively by Anfield Watch. We also revealed that Neiser Villareal also became a subject of interest for the Reds and a move is still on the cards for the exciting Colombian attacker.

Now Wallbanks' tour has taken him to Egypt.

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As far as we know, he's watched four teams in action so far. Ghana, Senegal, DR Congo and the Central African Republic.

In terms of who the players he was interested in - there have been a few suggested by @scoutsattending on Twitter.

According to the account in the second game Wallbanks attended, he could have been watching Senegalese winger Yaya Dieme, who recently had a trial with Chelsea and 18-year-old Ghanaian attacker Emmanuel Mensah, who scored the winning goal in the match and plays his club football for Sogndal.

We think in light of Liverpool's current right-back situation, Wallbanks could have also been taking a look at a very talented right-back for DR Congo David Ferdinand Mukandila.

The 17-year-old turns 18-years-old this summer and he will be eligible to move to Liverpool as per FIFA regulations.

A brilliant and pacey defender, Mukandila won 15 of his 18 defensive duels and made 18 recoveries in the two matches he has played so far.

He's also the only player at the tournament to have completed 100% of his dribble attempts out of players who have attempted at least five dribbles.

The exciting talent is already on the radar of The City Group, with Girona interested in his services. Meanwhile Genk are also another team monitoring the youngster.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool make a move for either of the names mentioned but what is clear is that with Wallbanks in his new role the Reds are going to be more active on the global market.

Wallbanks has been appointed to find gems at this tournament. That's what Villareal was flagged as after his exploits at the U20 Sudamericana.

Now players like Mukandila could emerge as genuine targets for the club if they continue to catch the eye at the tournament.

Wallbanks' special visit to the African Cup of Nations signals genuine interest in Liverpool's part to be involved in potential deals. That was our understanding when he made the trip to the U20 Sudamericana and it proved to be true with the Reds making moves during and after the tournament.

Similar moves are now expected. It doesn't mean that they will come to fruition. However, sooner or later, they will eventually lead to successful pursuits.

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A new signing under Wallbanks' leadership is now surely on the horizon. And we are excited what this will mean for Liverpool.