Ibrahim Mbaye Snubs Villa for Liverpool and City Pursuit

Aston Villa have discovered the hard way what happens when a rising star decides his ambitions lie at the very top of the game.

Ibrahim Mbaye, the highly regarded PSG forward, has cooled on a move to Villa Park after talks, with his camp now actively pushing the 18-year-old towards Liverpool and Manchester City instead, according to TEAMtalk.

The message is blunt: Mbaye wants trophies, not just minutes.

Liverpool’s winger rebuild gathers pace

Liverpool are already deep into a major reshaping of their wide options. Bradley Barcola is the headline name on their list, the flanks’ priority and the kind of marquee signing that would reshape their attack.

PSG, though, are playing hardball. The French champions have slapped a huge €170m (£145m) price tag on Barcola. Ben Jacobs reports that Liverpool, alongside the player’s camp, will try to drag that figure down, with Barcola understood to be keen on the move.

Liverpool’s need is clear. Mohamed Salah has gone. Federico Chiesa could follow. If the Italy international leaves, the club’s senior wide choices would be stripped back to Rio Ngumoha, Cody Gakpo and Victor Munoz, with Barcola still only a target rather than a done deal.

That is thin for a side with Liverpool’s ambitions and schedule. It opens the door to a second winger signing. That is where Mbaye enters the conversation.

Mbaye’s PSG squeeze

For an 18-year-old, Mbaye’s résumé already carries weight. He made 31 appearances for PSG last season, no small feat in an attack stacked with star names.

Luis Enrique had Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Barcola all competing for attacking roles. During the previous campaign he could also call upon Goncalo Ramos and Lee Kang-In, both since sold to AC Milan and Atletico Madrid respectively. Mbaye still found a way onto the pitch.

Right-footed and primarily used off the right flank in the 2025/26 season, he showed enough to convince his representatives that he cannot afford to stall on the bench as the squad evolves again.

PSG are planning yet another addition in the attacking midfield and wide areas, with Maghnes Akliouche expected to arrive from Monaco. That only tightens the squeeze. According to TEAMtalk, Mbaye’s camp now believe a move away is the best path for his development and long-term career.

Villa snubbed as Mbaye aims higher

Aston Villa moved early. Unai Emery’s side held talks over a deal for the 15-cap Senegal international, looking to add another dynamic forward to a squad already punching above its historical weight.

Then the mood changed.

Mbaye and his entourage have gone cold on the idea of joining Villa. The reasoning is brutally simple: they want a club that regularly competes for, and wins, the game’s biggest prizes. Villa’s project is admired, but it is not Liverpool or Manchester City.

So the player has been offered to both.

Graeme Bailey reports that Liverpool and City do hold an interest in Mbaye, but he is not at the top of either club’s shortlist. For Liverpool, Barcola remains the primary objective. Mbaye is viewed more as an additional option, someone who could arrive alongside Barcola rather than instead of him.

That scenario would depend on outgoings. A sale of Chiesa or another established wide player would be needed to clear space and justify a double investment.

City’s stance is cooler, more opportunistic. With a deep, flexible attacking unit already in place, they can afford to wait and see how PSG’s stance and the market evolve.

A teenager aiming for the very top

For now, the picture is clear. Ibrahim Mbaye has outgrown the idea of being a squad player buried in PSG’s rotation, but he is not prepared to step down in status to secure game time.

He wants Liverpool. He wants Manchester City. He wants the sharp end of the Champions League, not just European nights.

Whether either of England’s heavyweights decide to turn admiration into a concrete bid will define the next phase of his career – and tell us plenty about how ruthless Liverpool’s winger rebuild is about to become.