Aston Villa have moved into position for Ibrahim Mbaye, with reports saying the club have an agreement in place with Paris Saint Germain for a deal worth close to £48million (€55m). TEAMtalk say Villa are hopeful of completing it within the next 48 hours. The move comes after Villa backed away from Rafael Leão, who had been the earlier target.
Villa's switch from Leão to Mbaye
That change of plan is the real story here. Villa had been in talks with AC Milan over Leão before stepping away, and the Mbaye deal now looks like the replacement they wanted to move quickly on. Unai Emery, speaking to the Standard about Villa's summer rebuild, said: "We will need time. Last year, we showed we will need time. On Monday, we will see it, if we will need more time, or some players they are progressing quick."
The quotes fit the direction of travel. Villa are not shopping for a short-term stopgap, they are putting serious money into an 18-year-old and backing a different kind of summer move.
What Villa are buying
Mbaye is still early in his PSG career. He made 24 Ligue 1 appearances last season, scoring three goals and adding two assists, and he is 18 years old. The wider numbers around his 2026 season also point to a player with upside rather than a finished profile: 4 appearances, 1 goal and a 6.88 rating.
That is a risky fee by any normal standard, but it also explains why Villa have gone this way. The club have not just switched targets, they have switched age profile, with a deal near €55m for a player who is still at the start of his senior career.
The Standard also said Mbaye could travel on Saturday for a medical, although he would not be eligible to face Arsenal unless registered by 12pm on Friday. So the next step is clear enough: medical, registration and then a deal that has already moved a long way in a short time.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
