Ibrahim Mbaye to Aston Villa from Paris Saint-Germain

Ibrahim Mbaye · Incoming transfer · Paris Saint-Germain

The Verdict Right Now

98%likelihood

Final stagesdeal stage

Incomingdirection

State of play

Move	Paris Saint-Germain → Villa
In short	Medical passed, formalities remain
Last reported	August 29th (2 days ago)
Sourcing	Gold-standard reporting — an official statement or a top-tier reporter

Mbaye's medical is complete, Read Aston Villa's James Chettle reported at 4:51pm UK time on August 29th, with Le Parisien's Benjamin Quarez saying the 18-year-old arrived in Birmingham on Saturday and finished his medical -- only the contract signing and a formal club announcement remain. Fabrizio Romano had reported earlier the same day (5:03am UK) that the €55m move from Paris Saint-Germain completes Sunday August 30th, travel authorisation confirmed; Ornstein and Tanswell first reported the agreement in principle on August 28th, and BirminghamLive had the fee at £47m including add-ons. He is expected to sign a five-year contract with a Villa option for a further season, following Villa's failed Leão pursuit. Reverses mid-August reporting that Mbaye had agreed terms with Liverpool, who have since stepped away.

Primary source: Read Aston Villa (James Chettle); Fabrizio Romano (X); Le Parisien (Benjamin Quarez) · last corroborated August 29th.

How the Story Moved

Date		What changed
July 17th	Tracked	Rumor opened on the board at 22% (contact) — source: GiveMeSport / FootballFanCast / TEAMtalk. The 18-year-old PSG forward, a breakout talent under Luis Enrique who caught the eye at both AFCON and the World Cup, has reached an understanding that he can leave in search of regular minutes. Villa are reported among the frontrunners for a move valued at around £35-43m, with PSG now open to a sale. The field is crowded, though: Manchester City have moved to hijack Villa's pursuit, and Tottenham are among other Premier League suitors. No formal Villa bid has been confirmed.
July 24th	Moved	Likelihood rose from 22% to 26% (contact). The Athletic reported on July 21st that Villa are eager to win the race for the 18-year-old PSG forward, naming him and Crysencio Summerville as the players at the top of the club's post-Rogers shortlist; with Summerville now bound for Al Hilal, Mbaye stands as the priority attacking target. He impressed at the World Cup, scoring for Senegal against France, and his pathway at PSG could narrow if Luis Enrique adds further attackers. Mbaye has linked up with Jorge Mendes's agency, who also represent Unai Emery. The field is crowded: LaRoma24 reported on July 20th that Roma had entered and that PSG may sanction a loan rather than a permanent exit, with Manchester City also circling. No formal Villa bid has been reported.
July 27th	Moved	Likelihood fell from 26% to 6% (cooling). TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey reported on July 27th that Mbaye's representatives have offered him to Liverpool and Manchester City, and that the player's camp ultimately pushed back on the prospect of a move to Villa Park — Villa's interest was genuine and talks had progressed, but his entourage believe his next club should reflect what they regard as his elite potential. Neither of the clubs he has been offered to is an immediate rival: Liverpool's priority remains Bradley Barcola and Manchester City have other attacking targets ahead of him, and his camp are said to be weighing the sporting project rather than the quickest exit, with further talks expected over the coming weeks. RMC Sport name Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea among the clubs to have enquired, with Jorge Mendes now steering the move and PSG valuing the 18-year-old above €50m. For context, The Athletic reported on July 21st that Villa were eager to win the race, naming him the priority attacking target after Morgan Rogers's sale to Chelsea, and LaRoma24 had Roma entering on July 20th with PSG open to sanctioning a loan. No formal Villa bid was ever reported.
August 8th	Moved	Likelihood rose from 6% to 37% (talks). Villa have a proposal sitting with Paris Saint-Germain for Mbaye, and it is worth more than Liverpool's. That comes from the PSG-focused account PSGINSIDE-ACTUS, relayed by Inside Futbol on August 8th, which also has Paris yet to make a call on any of the offers even though the 18-year-old has been clear he wants to leave. Bayer Leverkusen are the third club with something on the table, at an undisclosed figure. It is a single low-level source, and it cuts against the better-sourced version of this story. TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey reported on July 27th that Mbaye's representatives had offered him to Liverpool and Manchester City and that his camp had pushed back on Villa Park, believing his next club should reflect what they regard as his elite potential. Liverpool have since done the moving: The Times had them exploring a deal on August 5th, TEAMtalk had them intensifying discussions with his representatives on August 6th, and Football Insider placed them in pole position on August 7th. Inside Futbol adds that the entourage are now advising him to stay in Paris altogether. Jorge Mendes is steering the move and Paris value him above EUR 50m. He is a senior Senegal international who came through their academy and did not get regular minutes last season, and whoever signs him loses him for around six weeks to the Africa Cup of Nations.
August 20th	Moved	Likelihood fell from 37% to 7% (cooling). Mbaye has agreed personal terms with Liverpool, turning his back on interest from Villa and Manchester United, RMC Sport's Fabrice Hawkins reported on August 18th -- the clearer, better-sourced version of a story TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey first broke on July 27th, when he reported the winger's camp had already pushed back on Villa Park because they see his next club as one that should reflect his elite potential. Liverpool's own move has since wobbled: the Daily Mail's Simon Jones said on August 19th that Liverpool are unlikely to pursue him after all, calling their interest merely exploratory, with Bayer Leverkusen still circling. None of that reporting puts Villa back in the picture; Mbaye's preference has moved past Birmingham regardless of whether Liverpool complete a deal.
August 28th	Moved	Likelihood rose from 7% to 82% (agreed). Villa have turned around their long-standing chase of Mbaye. David Ornstein reported on August 28th that Villa have reached agreement in principle with Paris Saint-Germain for the 18-year-old winger, worth around €55m, with the transfer being finalised; Fabrizio Romano said negotiations were ‘at final stages’, and Jacob Tanswell reported Villa were in the process of finalising the move for a long-standing target. The relationship between Villa chairman Nassef Sawiris and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is understood to have helped broker the deal. It marks a reversal from mid-August reporting that Mbaye had turned his back on Villa to agree personal terms with Liverpool, who have since stepped away from the deal.
August 28th	Moved	Likelihood rose from 82% to 95% (medical). Villa are hopeful Mbaye will travel on August 29th to complete his medical, Jacob Tanswell reported for The Athletic on the afternoon of August 28th alongside David Ornstein, a progression from the agreement in principle reported earlier the same day. Villa reached agreement in principle with Paris Saint-Germain for the 18-year-old winger, worth around €55m (about £47m per the Guardian), with Tanswell adding a separate detail that Villa never actually made a formal offer to AC Milan for Rafael Leão despite talks, closing out that story cleanly as attention turns fully to Mbaye. The relationship between Villa chairman Nassef Sawiris and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is understood to have helped broker the deal. It marks a reversal from mid-August reporting that Mbaye had turned his back on Villa to agree personal terms with Liverpool, who have since stepped away from the deal.
August 29th	Moved	Likelihood rose from 95% to 98% (final). Mbaye's medical is complete, Read Aston Villa's James Chettle reported at 4:51pm UK time on August 29th: Le Parisien's Benjamin Quarez said the 18-year-old arrived in Birmingham on Saturday and finished his medical, a report relayed by DaveOCKOP, leaving only the contract signing and a formal club announcement outstanding. Fabrizio Romano had reported earlier the same day (5:03am UK) that the €55m move from Paris Saint-Germain completes Sunday August 30th, with travel authorisation confirmed; David Ornstein and Jacob Tanswell first reported the agreement in principle on August 28th, and BirminghamLive had the fee at £47m including add-ons. He is expected to sign a five-year contract with a Villa option for a further season. The move followed Villa's failed Leão pursuit; the Senegal international scored against France at the World Cup and could debut against Hull City next weekend. Reverses mid-August reporting that Mbaye had agreed personal terms with Liverpool, who have since stepped away.

Timeline reflects our tracking history since the rumor joined the board, not every media mention. For everything Villa, live: the Verdict homepage.