Aston Villa Signs Ibrahim Mbaye from PSG for €55m
Aston Villa have struck an agreement in principle with Paris Saint-Germain to sign Ibrahim Mbaye in a €55m (£47m) deal, landing one of Europe’s most coveted teenagers and landing a heavy blow to Liverpool’s summer plans.
The 18-year-old winger, already with 42 senior appearances for PSG, is scheduled to undergo his medical on Saturday before signing a five-year contract, with an option for a further year. If all goes to plan, he will walk into a club in need of a jolt.
Villa’s season could hardly have started worse. A 4-0 hammering by Brighton on the opening weekend, capped by a red card for Joao Gomes, has left them bottom of the Premier League after matchweek 1 and already under scrutiny. Mbaye is being brought in to change that mood, not just decorate it.
He will join Alejandro Garnacho, on loan from Chelsea, as a fresh option out wide. Two new wingers, one bruised team, and a manager demanding a response. Villa’s hierarchy have decided this is not the moment for half-measures.
They also had to win a race. Chelsea and RB Leipzig both made approaches for Mbaye in recent days, sensing an opportunity as PSG prepared to cash in. Liverpool, who had tracked the teenager throughout the summer, stepped away when the French champions’ initial demands climbed towards €70m, according to RMC Sport.
Once that figure appeared, Liverpool changed course. Their recruitment team have pivoted to alternative wide targets, and immediately ran into another brick wall on the south coast.
Brighton have already rejected two bids of £50m and £60m from Liverpool for winger Yankuba Minteh, with head coach Fabian Hurzeler adamant he wants to keep the 21-year-old, even if he cannot offer guarantees.
“Rumours. Rumours,” Hurzeler said when asked about Liverpool’s pursuit. “Let’s see what happens. Again, another example of a player who benefits from the success of the team.
“He benefits for example from hard work from Pascal [Gross], hard work from Jack Hinshelwood, hard work from all the other players. And he knows it. Therefore I also think it’s important to understand as a player what you have here, playing for a club like Brighton.
“You have a club that gives you the chance, you team-mates who are really trying to push you, you have a club that is there for you also in tough moments.
“[New Man United signing] Carlos Baleba had so many tough moments when he was here, Minteh also had tough moments, but we were always there for them, always tried to help them, their team-mates are there for them.
“So I think it’s also important for the players to understand what they have here with this club, how the fans are connected, how we are working together.
“It’s difficult to find a similar environment, or better environment, for potential young players. But the same with Minteh, we were successful as a team, that brings attention on him, so let’s see what happens.
“If you ask me if I’ll try to convince him to stay, yes I try to convince him to stay. But can I control everything? No, I can’t control everything.”
Minteh is currently sidelined with a leg injury but is understood to be open to a move to Anfield. Liverpool, wary of overpaying for Mbaye and frustrated in their push for Minteh, have also made an enquiry for Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr this week as they scan the market for a new wide forward.
So Villa get their man. PSG bank a sizeable fee. Liverpool move on to the next name on the list.
The real question now is whether Mbaye can turn raw promise into end product quickly enough to drag Villa away from the bottom and back towards the ambitions their spending clearly demands.
