Aston Villa have reached an agreement in principle to sign forward Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain.
The two clubs have agreed a fee worth €55million, with the deal in the process of being finalised and paperwork in progress. The relationship between Villa chairman Nassef Sawiris and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was seen as key to closing the deal. Villa are hopeful of Mbaye travelling on Saturday to complete a medical ahead of the proposed move.
Mbaye, 18, represented Senegal at the World Cup this summer. The 18-year-old joined PSG in the summer of 2018 from FC Versailles 78. He progressed through PSG's youth academy and made his senior debut for the side in August 2024 at the age of 16. Mbaye has made 42 first-team appearances for PSG, scoring four goals and four assists. Last season, the teenager scored three goals and provided two assists in 31 games in all competitions. Liverpool had also shown interest in him this summer.
It has been a busy window for Villa, who have already made eight signings, with Nicolas Jackson set to become their ninth new arrival. Changes have been made in attack, with Morgan Rogers joining Chelsea in a club-record £117m deal, while Ollie Watkins is set to join Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. Alejandro Garnacho joined Villa on a season-long loan from Chelsea, while Villa were in discussions over a loan deal for AC Milan's Rafael Leao, though the Serie A club accepted a €45m package for the winger from Turkish side Galatasaray. Villa never made an offer to Milan for Leao. Villa did, though, bid for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, however that fell short of Palace's valuation of the France international, and made an approach for Bayer Leverkusen's Christian Kofane.
Mbaye started ten Ligue 1 games, one Champions League match and holds the record for being the youngest player to ever start a fixture for the French club. He has also established himself in Senegal's national team. A former France youth international, Mbaye switched his international allegiance and made his first appearance for the African nation in November 2025. Mbaye has now made 15 appearances for Senegal and appeared in six of their seven 2025 Africa Cup of Nations games, helping his nation win the tournament. He also started three of Senegal's four 2026 World Cup games, scoring in their tournament-opening defeat to France on June 16.
Aston Villa correspondent Jacob Tanswell provides the following analysis. Mbaye was among Villa's leading candidates earlier this summer before signing Alejandro Garnacho. Villa wanted a versatile forward who could run beyond opposition defences, mainly from the right side. Mbaye fitted the criteria, although his price and other factors, including interest from elsewhere, meant a deal could not be done then. As The Athletic first reported in January, they had tracked Mbaye for some time, with his potential and natural talent appealing to manager Unai Emery. Villa wanted to sign another forward after Nicolas Jackson's arrival, with Mbaye a key long-standing target, alongside Rafael Leao. Mbaye fits Villa's balance, having needed a natural right-sided player after Jadon Sancho departed and Leon Bailey is not in plans.
Source: www.nytimes.com — Read the original article
Leave a Comment