Ibrahim Mbaye is 18 years old, already a Senegal international, and apparently picky about where he spends the next phase of his career. His representatives have reportedly started floating his name to Liverpool and Manchester City after deciding Aston Villa wasn’t the right fit.
According to TEAMtalk, Mbaye’s agents have been making calls in recent days. They’re looking for a club that can consistently compete for Premier League titles and deep Champions League runs. Villa, for all their progress under Unai Emery, apparently doesn’t check those boxes in the eyes of the player’s camp.
That’s not a knock on Villa. They had real interest and were considered serious suitors. But the word is Mbaye’s people want him at a club where the expectation is silverware every spring. Not just a surprise top-four finish or a cup run. Consistently competing for the biggest things.
So now it’s on to Liverpool and City.
What Mbaye brings
He’s a forward who came up through PSG’s academy and has been on the radar of European scouts for a couple years now. Fast, technical, confident on the ball. The kind of kid who looks comfortable in tight spaces and can play across the front line. He’s made a few senior appearances for PSG but hasn’t broken into the regular rotation yet. That’s part of the thinking here — his people believe he needs regular first-team minutes at a high level, and that might mean leaving Paris.
PSG hasn’t exactly been shy about letting young talent go if the price is right. They’ve got a deep squad and a seemingly endless supply of teenagers coming through. Mbaye is one of the brighter ones, but the club isn’t holding anyone hostage if a good offer comes in.
Are Liverpool or City actually in?
Right now, it’s exploratory. The agents have made the calls. Both clubs have been informed he’s available. But there’s no indication either has opened formal talks or put a bid together. Liverpool has a track record of developing young attackers — think Harvey Elliott, Kaide Gordon, Ben Doak — so the fit makes sense on paper. City’s whole model under Guardiola has been stockpiling young talent and letting it ripen. This is the kind of move both clubs make when the math works.
But right now it’s just conversations. The transfer window still has weeks to run, and Mbaye’s camp is doing what agents do: seeing who bites. Whether Liverpool or City actually pursue this will probably depend on what else shakes loose in their own squad planning. Both clubs have other priorities. But the fact that Mbaye’s people are calling them first tells you something about where they think this kid’s ceiling is.
For now, it’s a name to watch. Nothing more. But the kind of name that gets interesting fast if one of those two clubs decides to pick up the phone.
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