Aston Villa have reached a verbal or in-principle agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for Ibrahim Mbaye, according to multiple outlets, with the winger now expected to move to the Premier League once the remaining formalities are completed.
The proposed deal accelerated after Villa’s pursuit of AC Milan forward Rafael Leao came to an end. Reports indicate Leao has chosen Galatasaray instead, prompting Villa to turn decisively towards Mbaye, a player they had been monitoring well before this week.
Agreement is not yet a completed transfer
The broad outline is consistent across the reporting: Villa and PSG have found common ground, Mbaye is willing to join, and documentation is being prepared. That is significant progress, but it is not the same as a signed transfer or an official club announcement.
Descriptions of the agreement vary. One report calls it a verbal accord, while another says the clubs have an agreement in principle and that paperwork is under way. Both formulations leave room for contracts, registration and any final contractual details to be completed before Villa can regard the deal as done.
There is also no single, settled account of the cost. One outlet puts the fee above £47m, while another reports a figure of about €55m. Those numbers are not necessarily irreconcilable given the currencies involved, but none of the reports establishes whether add-ons, performance clauses or a future-sale percentage are included. Until the clubs disclose terms, the total commitment remains unclear.
A move driven by opportunity
Mbaye’s apparent willingness to leave PSG is at the centre of the story. He has had exposure at one of Europe’s most demanding clubs, but regular starts have been harder to obtain amid the depth of PSG’s attacking options. Villa can offer a more direct route to a sustained first-team role, which appears to have shaped the player’s preference.
The 18-year-old is principally viewed as a right-sided attacker, although reports describe him as capable of working across the front line. That flexibility matters more than a simple replacement narrative. Leao and Mbaye are not like-for-like in age, experience or playing profile, so Villa’s change of target looks less like an attempt to recreate the Milan player exactly and more like a decision to invest in a younger attacker with room to develop.
It also suggests that Villa were prepared to alter their recruitment plan quickly rather than extend negotiations for a player whose destination was moving elsewhere. Their delegation had reportedly travelled to Milan to discuss a possible Leao loan, but the Mbaye pursuit has resulted in talks for a permanent purchase. The financial and sporting logic of those two routes is markedly different.
What the reports agree on — and what they do not
There is agreement that Liverpool made enquiries about Mbaye earlier in the window but did not take their interest further. Bayer Leverkusen are also said to have made a previous bid. Villa’s eventual success, if the deal is completed, would therefore come after competition from clubs with substantial European standing.
Accounts of Mbaye’s output last season are less straightforward. One report credits him with three goals and two assists from 24 Ligue 1 appearances. Another gives him one goal and two assists for PSG while also stating that he started only 10 times. The reporting does not explain the differing goal totals or whether the figures cover different competitions, so it would be premature to treat either set as a definitive measure of his season.
What is clearer is that PSG appearances alone do not reveal how much responsibility Mbaye would be ready to take on at Villa. A player used intermittently in Paris may thrive with a defined role and consistent selection, but the reverse is also possible. Villa would be paying not simply for recent production, but for a projection of what a young international can become with greater minutes.
The bigger question for Villa
The immediate question is whether Mbaye arrives as a regular starter, a rotating wide option, or an attacker who is developed more gradually. His preference for the right side could make that decision especially relevant, yet his ability to feature on either flank gives Villa scope to use him according to opponents and availability.
The timing also makes the transfer notable. Villa have moved from a high-profile attempt for the established Leao to a deal for a teenager whose PSG career has been constrained by elite competition. That is not automatically a downgrade; it is a change in risk profile. Leao would have brought a more proven senior record, while Mbaye offers upside alongside uncertainty.
For now, Villa appear to have secured the player’s agreement and PSG’s cooperation. The final judgment on the move will depend on the details still missing from the reports: the confirmed fee, the contract length, the role Villa have promised Mbaye and, above all, whether regular Premier League football allows him to convert potential into consistent impact.