Manchester United have entered the race for Ibrahim Mbaye after Liverpool cooled their pursuit, turning a Liverpool-led story into a three-club scramble around the Paris Saint Germain winger. PSG are asking for around €50 million, and Mbaye's 2025-26 numbers help explain why interest has held up despite his age. He has 31 appearances, 1,242 minutes, three goals and two assists.

Liverpool's shift and United's opening

Fabrizio Romano said Liverpool's plan is still to sign two wingers by the end of the window, especially if Cody Gakpo goes to Tottenham, but he also said PSG's price for Mbaye is considered too expensive. He added that Bradley Barcola wants to go to Liverpool and that the personal terms are almost in place.

That is the point where United have stepped in. Michael Carrick said, “We always want to improve. We want more, we need more. We keep looking forward to how we can do that. So that never stops. We're conscious of that and we've got to keep pushing.”

PSG's price and Mbaye's route to minutes

The money is not the only issue. Mbaye made his senior PSG debut in August 2024 aged 16 and became the club's youngest player to start a match, but he has still been used in a way that leaves room for a bigger role elsewhere. He has played 1,242 minutes in 2025-26, with 31 appearances already on the board.

PSG's stance also sounds firm. Romano said the club believe signing Barcola and Mbaye would cost almost €200 million combined. Nasser Al-Khelaifi said, “I don't know what's going to happen with him, we will see in the next days, we are negotiating.”

United's interest does not mean the deal is close, but it does make this a more open race than the early Liverpool links suggested. PSG still have a teenager with production on his side, yet the price and the minutes he has had so far are enough to keep other clubs in the picture.

Mbaye's situation is now one of the more interesting forward-market stories before the window closes, with Liverpool still involved on Barcola, United now active on Mbaye, and PSG asking for a fee that will force real decisions before any move happens.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →