Aston Villa are rebuilding their squad after a historic 2025–26 campaign under Unai Emery. Villa ended their 30-year trophy drought by beating SC Freiburg 3–0 to win the Europa League.
They also finished fourth in the Premier League and secured Champions League qualification. However, several major departures have forced Emery to reshape his squad this summer.
Morgan Rogers completed a British-record £117M move to Chelsea, while Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United for £35M.
In response, Villa broke their club record to sign Johan Manzambi from Freiburg for £59.5M. They also strengthened midfield by bringing in Joao Gomes from Wolves for £38M.
Additionally, Villa have agreed a loan deal for Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho with a conditional obligation to buy.
However, Garnacho is not viewed as a direct replacement for Rogers, leaving Villa searching for another versatile attacking option.
According to The Athletic, Aston Villa have identified Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye as their priority attacking target.
The 18-year-old made 30 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring three goals and providing two assists.
Moreover, Mbaye enhanced his reputation significantly while representing Senegal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He featured in all four of Senegal’s matches and produced a memorable moment against France during the group stage.
Mbaye came off the bench and scored after an impressive solo run, becoming the youngest African goalscorer in World Cup history at 18 years and 143 days.
However, his pathway at PSG could become increasingly difficult if the French club strengthen their attacking options this summer.
Meanwhile, Mbaye has linked up with the agency of super-agent Jorge Mendes, who also represents Emery.
That connection could potentially help Villa as they consider making a concrete move for the teenager.
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