Ibrahim Mbaye's Next Move: Liverpool or Manchester City?

Ibrahim Mbaye’s next move is turning into one of the more intriguing subplots of the summer – and it will not be to Aston Villa.

The highly rated Paris Saint-Germain teenager has been formally offered to both Liverpool and Manchester City, with his camp now openly steering him towards what they see as a stage befitting his ceiling: a club that lives permanently in the Champions League spotlight.

Villa talks stall as ambition hardens

Aston Villa were not a token name in this chase. Their interest was real, their talks progressed, and the project at Villa Park was laid out in detail. For a player looking to step out of PSG’s shadow, Unai Emery’s side – Champions League-bound and on a sharp upward curve – made a persuasive case.

Yet when it came to the crunch, Mbaye’s representatives pushed back.

Those close to the player have reached a clear conclusion: leaving PSG is the right move for his long-term development, but only if the destination reflects what they consider his “elite” potential. In their eyes, this is not the time for a halfway house. It is the time to aim straight for the top.

That conviction has reshaped the market around him.

Liverpool and City sounded out

With Villa effectively parked, Mbaye’s camp has begun sounding out Europe’s heavyweights. Over the last few days, his name has been put directly to Liverpool and Manchester City, with both clubs made fully aware of his availability and intentions.

There is respect for the player on both sides.

Liverpool’s recruitment team have tracked Mbaye closely during his time in Paris. With Mohamed Salah gone, Richard Hughes is working through a list of wide attacking options to strengthen Andoni Iraola’s squad. Mbaye is on that radar, a teenager with the kind of raw tools Liverpool have often trusted and refined.

City are in a similar phase of retooling. Enzo Maresca wants extra attacking depth and the club have already moved early in the window in other areas. Mbaye’s profile fits the long-term model at the Etihad: high potential, high ceiling, time to grow within an established winning machine.

The admiration, though, comes with a hard reality.

Not a priority – for now

For all the interest, neither Liverpool nor City currently see Mbaye as a leading winger target.

At Anfield, the focus is elsewhere. Liverpool’s priority remains Bradley Barcola, another PSG talent, while the club continue to monitor several established wide players across Europe. Mbaye, for now, sits behind those headline options.

City’s stance is similar. They acknowledge his potential and have not dismissed the idea of a move, but other attacking names are higher up their shortlist. The champions are operating from a position of strength; they can afford to be selective and sequence their business.

Even so, nobody is closing the door.

Those involved describe the situation as fluid. Mbaye’s camp are not chasing the quickest escape from Paris. They want the right sporting project – minutes, pathway, trust – and they are prepared to let the market move before locking in a decision.

A talent in search of the right stage

What happens next could define the early years of one of French football’s brightest young prospects.

Interest across Europe is growing. Further talks are expected in the coming weeks as clubs test PSG’s resolve and, just as importantly, convince Mbaye’s entourage that they can offer more than a badge and a promise.

He has already turned away from one serious Premier League suitor. The next choice will say plenty about how he and his camp see his place in the game – and about which of Europe’s giants truly believe he belongs in their future.