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Mbaye eyes PSG exit as Aston Villa, Tottenham circle

ยทBy Junior Yekini
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Mbaye eyes PSG exit as Aston Villa, Tottenham circle

PSG/X.com

Paris Saint-Germain could see their attacking options thin out this summer, with 18-year-old winger Ibrahim Mbaye keen to leave the club in search of regular first-team football, according to Foot Mercato.

The Senegalese forward, who primarily operates on the right flank, made a positive impression at this summer's World Cup, getting on the scoresheet in Senegal's meeting with France.

He has also shown flashes of his considerable talent for PSG over the course of the past season, without ever quite forcing his way into a settled starting role, finishing the campaign with three goals and two assists in 23 Ligue 1 appearances, the majority of them off the bench.

Head coach Luis Enrique has publicly defended his handling of the teenager despite the limited minutes, insisting there are no hard feelings over how the situation has played out.

"I have no regrets about Ibrahim Mbaye. But you have to be ready for every minute you can play at PSG," Enrique said earlier this year.

"It's simply competition, and a player has to be left out of the squad, nothing more."

According to Foot Mercato, several of Europe's leading clubs are monitoring Mbaye's situation, with Premier League duo Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur credited with concrete interest in the teenager. PSG, however, are expected to demand a significant fee for a player they still regard as a prized academy asset, with Mbaye under contract at the French champions until the summer of 2028.

The winger has made 42 appearances for PSG's first team to date, numbers that reflect genuine opportunities rather than mere squad depth, even if regular starts have proven hard to come by given the strength of competition in Paris.

Should a suitable offer arrive, PSG would have to weigh up the financial upside of a sale against the risk of losing a player they still view as having significant long-term potential, with the World Cup exposure Mbaye received this summer likely to only sharpen interest from elsewhere as the market develops.