United Eye PSG Teenager Ibrahim Mbaye as Transfer Deadline Approaches
Manchester United are braced for a frantic finish to the transfer window, with Michael Carrick making it clear he is far from done reshaping his squad – and Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye firmly on the radar.
Carrick, preparing United for a Champions League return next season, knows the current group needs more than minor tweaks if it is to cope with the demands of fighting on several fronts. A third-place finish last term restored some credibility. It did not, in his mind, restore United to where they want to be.
The club moved early to rewire the midfield, bringing in Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans a month ago, while experienced goalkeeper Karl Darlow and a clutch of youngsters have also arrived. Since then, though, it has gone quiet on the incoming front.
Carrick is not dressing that up.
“We want more, we need more, we keep looking for how we can do that,” he said, underlining that the rebuild is only part-done. “Money's money, I get that.
“We feel like we have to be pushing for everything we're involved in, while being realistic of what the recent history's looked like over a period of time.
“For now, we've got to make the most of it, but we've got to push every boundary we can to be able to win again, basically. That's the challenge.”
That is the backdrop to United’s interest in Ibrahim Mbaye. The 18-year-old PSG winger has been tracked by several top clubs, his name steadily rising up recruitment lists across Europe. United are among those monitoring his situation closely.
And the picture has shifted in their favour.
Reports indicate Liverpool, previously in the mix, have stepped back from a potential move for Mbaye. The Merseyside club are scouring the market for wide players after Mohamed Salah’s departure from Anfield and have turned their attention to Mbaye’s PSG teammate Bradley Barcola instead.
The sticking point for Liverpool is said to be Mbaye’s price. PSG value the teenager at around £42.7m, a figure that has cooled Liverpool’s interest and could thin out the competition for his signature.
Mbaye, meanwhile, is staring at a crowded path to the PSG first team. The French champions are loaded with forwards, and minutes will be hard to come by for an 18-year-old trying to break through at the very top.
That is where United sense an opening: a hungry young winger, a club needing depth and dynamism out wide, and a manager who has publicly demanded “more” to turn a promising platform into a team capable of winning again.
The question now is simple: with the clock ticking on the window, will United turn admiration into a decisive move?
