Ibrahim Mbaye's Future: Liverpool or Manchester City?
Aston Villa have been knocked back in their pursuit of Ibrahim Mbaye, with the PSG forward’s camp now pushing a move to Liverpool or Manchester City as the teenager eyes a stage that matches his soaring reputation.
The 18-year-old, already a 15-cap Senegal international, had held talks over a switch to Villa Park, but those conversations have cooled. Mbaye and his representatives now want a club that lives permanently in the Champions League glare, one that competes for the game’s biggest trophies every season. Villa, for all their impressive rise, do not yet sit at that table in his eyes.
So attention has turned to England’s two serial contenders: Liverpool and Manchester City.
Liverpool’s wide rebuild gathers pace
Liverpool are already locked into one of the window’s most ambitious winger hunts. Bradley Barcola is the headline target, the player earmarked to reshape the flanks after a seismic summer.
PSG have planted a huge price tag on Barcola: around €170m (£145m). That figure would test even Liverpool’s newfound financial muscle. Ben Jacobs reports that Liverpool, together with Barcola’s camp, will try to drag that number down, and crucially, the France international is understood to be keen on the move.
The need is obvious. Mohamed Salah has gone. Federico Chiesa has a real chance of following him out of the door. Strip those two out of the squad and Liverpool’s wide options suddenly look thin: Rio Ngumoha, Cody Gakpo and Victor Munoz, the latter already signed this summer. That is not enough for a side with Liverpool’s ambitions and fixture load.
So the door opens to a second winger. This is where Mbaye’s name lands on the desk at Anfield.
TEAMtalk report that Mbaye’s camp have formally offered the player to Liverpool. The club do like him. Graeme Bailey notes that there is genuine interest from both Liverpool and City, though he is not at the top of either shortlist. For Liverpool, Barcola remains the priority; Mbaye is being viewed as a possible addition alongside Barcola, not a cheaper alternative.
That scenario would likely depend on Chiesa or another winger being moved on. If Liverpool manage to offload one of their established wide men, the prospect of landing both Barcola and Mbaye suddenly looks less fanciful and more like a full-scale evolution of their attack.
PSG’s crowded frontline pushes Mbaye towards exit
Mbaye’s desire to leave PSG is easy to understand when you scan the names ahead of him.
Last season he still managed 31 appearances in all competitions, a striking return for an 18-year-old in a squad stacked with attacking talent. Luis Enrique could choose from Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Barcola in the wide positions. On top of that, he also had Goncalo Ramos and Lee Kang-In, both now sold to AC Milan and Atletico Madrid respectively.
Mbaye is right-footed and spent most of the 2025/26 campaign operating from the right flank, cutting in and attacking full-backs head-on. Even with his minutes, the message from PSG’s recruitment is clear: they are not easing off. Maghnes Akliouche is expected to arrive from Monaco, adding yet another layer of competition in the final third.
For Mbaye’s camp, the conclusion is simple. Staying in Paris risks stalling his development. A move now, while his stock is rising and his international profile grows with Senegal, feels like the best path for his career.
City and Liverpool circle, but on their own terms
Manchester City have also been offered Mbaye and, like Liverpool, they are intrigued rather than obsessed. Their interest is real, just not urgent. Pep Guardiola’s squad is already brimming with attacking options, and City’s recruitment model rarely panics.
Liverpool’s situation is more fluid and potentially more explosive. They are reshaping an attack that has carried them through an era, and they are doing it in one window. Barcola is the statement piece. Mbaye could be the high-upside project, a teenager with top-level experience who can grow into a leading role rather than being asked to shoulder it immediately.
For now, the pecking order is clear: Barcola first, Mbaye as a possible second wave. The whole equation hinges on exits, on whether Liverpool can create both the financial and tactical space to bring in two wide forwards.
What is certain is that Mbaye has made his move. Aston Villa are off the table. His sights are set higher. The next few weeks will reveal whether Liverpool or Manchester City are ready to bet on a teenager who has already decided he belongs among the elite.
