Ibrahim Mbaye: PSG Talent Eyes Move to Liverpool or Manchester City
Ibrahim Mbaye, the latest jewel off the Paris Saint-Germain production line, is being steered away from Aston Villa and towards the very top of the European game, with his camp actively offering him to both Liverpool and Manchester City.
The teenager’s representatives have started a quiet but deliberate tour of Europe’s elite, testing the water with clubs they feel can match what they see as his ceiling: the very highest level. PSG are open to a departure and interest has been building in the Premier League, but Mbaye’s next step is being treated as a defining one.
Villa talks stall as ambition hardens
Aston Villa moved early and seriously. Discussions over a transfer progressed, and their interest in Mbaye was real rather than speculative. For a time, Villa Park looked a genuine option.
Then the brakes went on.
Those close to the player believe leaving PSG is now the right move for his long-term development, but they are equally adamant that his next club must mirror his perceived elite potential. When Mbaye’s entourage weighed up the project, they ultimately pushed back on a switch to Villa, despite the club’s rise and recent success.
The message from his camp is clear: this is not about simply escaping Paris. It is about landing at a club that lives permanently in the rarefied air of title races and deep runs in Europe.
Liverpool and City sounded out
That stance has led them directly to Liverpool and Manchester City. In recent days, Mbaye’s name has been formally put to both clubs, with sources indicating that the teenager is now firmly on the radar at Anfield and the Etihad.
There is respect for his talent in both recruitment departments. Liverpool have tracked his progress in Paris for some time, logging his development while they scan the market for wide forwards in the post-Mohamed Salah era. Richard Hughes, charged with reshaping Andoni Iraola’s attack, is working through a list of options, and Mbaye features on that broader board.
City are operating from a similar vantage point. Enzo Maresca wants extra firepower in the attacking positions and the champions have already been busy this summer. Mbaye has been discussed, and his long-term upside is recognised inside the club.
The catch? Neither Liverpool nor City currently see him as a top-tier target in this window.
At Liverpool, the focus remains on Bradley Barcola, with the club also tracking several other high-profile wide options across the continent. City, for their part, have other attacking names ahead of Mbaye on their shortlist, even while acknowledging the teenager’s promise.
A fluid race for a prized talent
That does not close the door. Far from it.
Those around Mbaye insist they are prepared to be patient. They want the right sporting project, not the fastest exit route from PSG. With interest across Europe continuing to grow, the next few weeks are expected to bring further talks and fresh proposals.
For now, the message to the market is simple: Ibrahim Mbaye is ready to leave Paris, but only for a club that can offer a genuine pathway to the top. Whether that path runs through Anfield, the Etihad, or another of Europe’s giants will say plenty about how the game’s superpowers really value one of French football’s brightest young talents.
