Ibrahim Mbaye Rejects Aston Villa for Liverpool or Manchester City
Aston Villa thought they were in the conversation. Ibrahim Mbaye has made it clear they are not.
The PSG forward, one of the brightest teenagers in Europe, has cooled on a move to Villa Park despite talks taking place, with his camp now actively steering him toward Liverpool or Manchester City instead.
For an 18-year-old with 15 caps for Senegal and 31 appearances for PSG last season, the logic is simple: he wants the biggest stage, the biggest prizes, and a club that lives in that air every season.
Liverpool’s winger rebuild – and the Barcola obsession
At Anfield, the timing is intriguing. Liverpool are already deep into one major wide-player pursuit, with Bradley Barcola sitting at the very top of their list.
Barcola is the priority. That has not changed.
PSG have slapped a huge price tag on him: around €170m (£145m). It is a number that would make most clubs walk away. Liverpool, according to Ben Jacobs, are instead trying to drag that figure down, working with Barcola’s camp to persuade PSG there is a deal to be done. The player, for his part, is understood to be keen on the move.
The need on Merseyside is obvious. Mohamed Salah has gone. Federico Chiesa has a genuine chance of following him out of the door. Strip them away and Liverpool’s wide options suddenly look thin: Rio Ngumoha, Cody Gakpo and Victor Munoz, who has already arrived, would carry the load while the club chase Barcola.
That is not enough for a side with Liverpool’s ambitions. Not over a full season.
So the door opens to a second winger. That is where Mbaye enters the conversation.
Mbaye’s PSG squeeze
Mbaye’s rise at PSG last season was no small feat. Breaking through in Paris is brutal at the best of times, but doing it in an attack packed with Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Barcola takes something special.
Luis Enrique still found room for him 31 times in 2025/26, using him primarily on the right flank, cutting in from his stronger right foot. He offered energy, direct running, and the kind of fearlessness you expect from a teenager trying to prove he belongs.
Even then, the competition never really eased. During the previous campaign, Enrique could also turn to Goncalo Ramos and Lee Kang-In, both since moved on to AC Milan and Atletico Madrid respectively. Now PSG are planning to add Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco into that same attacking mix.
The message to Mbaye is clear without anyone saying it: minutes will be at a premium.
According to TEAMtalk, his representatives have decided that, for his development and his career, staying in that logjam is no longer the right option. They want him out. Not just anywhere, though.
Villa left behind as Mbaye aims higher
Aston Villa sensed an opportunity. Unai Emery’s side, now regulars in European competition and upwardly mobile in the Premier League, opened talks to bring Mbaye to Birmingham. On paper, it made sense: a club on the rise, a manager with a track record of improving young players, and a league that would showcase his talent every week.
Mbaye and his camp were not convinced.
The pull of the game’s superclubs proved stronger. TEAMtalk report that the teenager has cooled on Villa and now wants a move to a “more prestigious club” that consistently competes for the sport’s biggest trophies. In practical terms, that has led his camp to offer him to Liverpool and Manchester City.
Graeme Bailey notes that both English giants hold an interest. They are watching him. They see the talent. But he also makes one thing clear: Mbaye is not at the top of either club’s shortlist.
For Liverpool, that spot belongs to Barcola. For City, the priorities lie elsewhere.
Could Liverpool take both?
The idea at Anfield is intriguing: Mbaye as a second winger, not a consolation prize. Bailey reiterates that any move for the PSG youngster would be in addition to Barcola, not instead of him.
That scenario, of course, comes with conditions. Liverpool would likely need at least one more wide player to depart, with Chiesa the obvious candidate if he does push for a move. Freeing up space in the squad and on the wage bill would give them the flexibility to go after both Barcola and Mbaye.
For Mbaye, that kind of double swoop would mean walking into an elite, but crowded, dressing room again. The difference this time? A club built around wide forwards, a league that rewards his direct style, and a manager who would be signing him with a clear plan in mind.
For Liverpool and City, it poses a different question: when a teenager has already turned down a solid Premier League project like Villa because he only wants the very top, do you take the gamble now, or risk watching him explode somewhere else?
