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Paris Saint-Germain have spent the last few years putting together a sustainable squad built around players who can grow and improve together. Senegal forward Ibrahim Mbaye is the latest young talent to attract attention at PSG, despite the fierce competition for places in the first team.

Liverpool, Bournemouth and Borussia Dortmund were among the clubs tracking the teenager last season. A move this summer to any of those sides could appeal to Mbaye. Even so, there is a strong case to be made that the 18-year-old’s development would be better served by staying at PSG for the 2026/27 Ligue 1 campaign.

Mbaye joined the club’s academy in 2018 and was given his senior debut by Luis Enrique in August 2024, before gradually becoming part of the first-team setup. He played 24 times in Ligue 1 last season, registering three goals and two assists. Given that he was limited to 999 minutes of action, those numbers appear even more impressive.

The presence of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele leaves very little space for an emerging winger to make his mark, but Mbaye managed to do exactly that.

PSG have invested heavily to assemble one of the strongest squads in Europe, but keeping academy graduates alongside costly signings remains important if their sporting model is to work.

Although the club have been clever in the way they have sold players to balance the books this summer, cashing in on Mbaye now would risk reviving an old PSG issue — producing gifted footballers only for another club to enjoy their best years.

Mbaye’s displays for Senegal at the 2026 World Cup drew significant attention, especially his goal against France in a 3-1 defeat. At 18 years and 143 days old, he became the youngest African player ever to score at a World Cup and the fourth-youngest goalscorer in the competition’s history.

FIFA later highlighted his pace, his confidence in one-versus-one situations and his ability to work his way out of tight areas when discussing the tournament’s standout young players.

Those traits are especially valuable for PSG because Luis Enrique’s possession-based style demands wingers who can turn territorial control into real attacking thrust. Mbaye can play on either side, take on a defender directly and burst into spaces that have been squeezed by a deep opposition block.

The World Cup also showed that PSG should speed up his development, because he has already proved that he can deliver under the pressure of international football.

Mbaye is under contract until June 2028, which means PSG could demand a sizeable fee for a player who is unlikely to be a guaranteed starter this season. Mbaye may look at Dortmund or the Premier League and feel that a move there would offer a faster path to becoming an established first-team footballer.

However, PSG should solve that issue by using him more regularly this season. Luis Enrique has repeatedly shown that he is willing to rotate his attacking players. Mbaye needs meaningful minutes from the bench, the occasional start and a clear message that strong performances will bring greater responsibility at PSG.

A winger valued at €30m who has already scored at a World Cup before the age of 19 could rapidly see his price rise if his club output begins to match his international reputation. PSG are under no real pressure to sell straight away because Mbaye remains tied to the club until 2028. That gives them time to judge whether he can continue progressing in Paris.

Among the clubs linked with him, Dortmund and Bournemouth look like the most sensible destinations. Both clubs have a strong track record of giving talented young players first-team opportunities. Liverpool, of course, carry their own appeal, and the lack of competition on the right side of their attack following Mohamed Salah’s departure could also open up a quick route into the first team.

PSG may believe that outside interest gives them the opportunity to make a huge profit on a player they have developed themselves. In addition, the club’s stance may have hardened because of a public transfer saga, with French investigative journalist Romain Molina publishing an exposé criticising Mbaye’s family and entourage for having “lost touch with reality.” Molina released details and visual proof — including photographs of meetings and negotiations — alleging that Mbaye’s parents made unrealistic demands over finances, image rights and project funding to agents, moving through multiple agents in a single year before eventually reaching Jorge Mendes.

The reigning European champions are a rich club, but the difficult financial climate in Ligue 1 cannot be overlooked. A possible €30m windfall is not insignificant, and more recent reports suggest the fee for the academy product could be much higher, perhaps even as much as €70m. Even so, they must weigh up whether that figure would truly compensate for losing a player who could be worth far more over the next couple of years.

With uncertainty surrounding Bradley Barcola’s future at the Parc des Princes, keeping Mbaye may ultimately be PSG’s best move this summer. The Senegal international still has weaknesses in his game that need addressing and must convert flashes of promise into consistently strong club performances.

Next season will be a crucial one in Mbaye’s overall development, and staying at PSG appears to be the most sensible outcome for a player who could yet develop into a superstar.