Gilberto Mora receives surprise transfer advice after record Liverpool offer

8 Oct 2026 06:28 BST 3 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

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Tijuana sensation Gilberto Mora has received some interesting transfer advice from Mexico cult hero Raul Jimenez amid reported interest from Liverpool.

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Transfer speculation around the 17-year-old is ramping up after he impressed at the World Cup despite being the tournament's youngest player. Mora has been a senior Mexico international since age 16 and even started the final of the Gold Cup last year.

With El Tri's development pipeline showing major deficiencies, the Tijuana youngster has emerged as his country's great hope. Mora is a potentially generational talent - the only one in the Mexico pool at present - and will have to shoulder the expectations of a nation for the next 15 years.

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€12.3M - €15M

So far, he has shown that he can handle the pressure. The playmaker's performances are becoming increasingly mature, and it is no surprise that virtually every big club in Europe is chasing him.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Man Utd have all been associated with a possible Mora transfer, but in recent days, reports in Mexico have claimed that Liverpool actually made the first move.

Liverpool's record-breaking bid

Earlier this week, TUDN asserted that Mora's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, had approached Tijuana with a record-breaking bid from Liverpool.

The Reds supposedly offered more than €40 million for the teenager, which would obliterate the Liga MX transfer record of just €15m. Mora will be able to move to England in January as he turns 18 next week.

The attacking midfielder only played once in the recent international break after picking up a minor knock. He would apparently have been fit to play against the United States and Chile, but new El Tri manager Rafa Marquez did not want to aggravate the problem and jeopardise his transfer.

That said, it remains to be seen if anything will come of Liverpool's alleged offer. Last week, reports in Spain claimed that Mora has a €25 million release clause in the "historic" new contract he signed with Tijuana ahead of the World Cup.

At the time, his club confirmed that an exit mechanism exists in the deal, but did not disclose its value. Tijuana are aware that Mora will leave for Europe before long and don't want to block his path.

Mora transfer advice

With rumours swirling around Mora, Claro Sports asked his former Mexico teammate Raul Jimenez for transfer advice. Should the diminutive playmaker immediately make the jump to the Premier League? Is he ready for England's physicality?

According to Jimenez, who has been playing in England for eight years, Mora has the quality and ceiling to play for any club in any league in the world. However, he believes that the teenager should take an intermediate step in a less cutthroat division first.

"He has what it takes to play anywhere," the Wolves and Mexico cult hero explained. "But he could also take it step by step, gradually, just as has happened with many players.

"They go to slightly smaller leagues and then make the leap, like Argentines and Brazilians who are signed by Dutch or Portuguese teams. At the same time, given his quality and his potential, I think he could do well if he starts out in a top league."

When asked to name a specific destination for Mora, Jimenez did not name Liverpool. Instead, he pointed to one of the other clubs strongly linked with the 17-year-old: Borussia Dortmund.

"Where would I like to see him? Maybe in Germany, at Borussia Dortmund; they have their style," Jimenez said. "Or in Spain, where the league is a bit more technical and not as physical. I think he could adapt well."