Ilya Zabarnyi, the 22-year-old central defender from Bournemouth (contract runs until 2028) and Ukraine, has been announced as one of Paris Saint-Germain’s defensive priorities for the mercato. Djamel confirmed today that negotiations between the two clubs are progressing well.
“PSG are continuing talks with Bournemouth over a fee of around €60m for Illya Zabarnyi.
The two clubs are close to an agreement.
A contractual agreement has already been reached with the player, who is determined to join Paris.
Zabarnyi has made it clear to his club that he absolutely wants to sign for PSG.
Internal confidence is high that the deal will be completed.”
This is a generally reliable account and many media outlets are assuring Zabarnyi’s transfer is taking shape. It’s possible that there is indeed a major breakthrough, with the Ukrainian determined to come. There is at least hope that this excellent defender, who fits in perfectly with the project, will sign for Paris in the next few weeks.
However, it’s too early for certainties. Caution is the wisest course of action until we have something concrete to go on. We’ll need a statement from a club or the player to be sure. Let’s hope this happens soon. Even if Zabarnyi won’t be able to play in the Club World Cup with PSG in any case, as the lists are now closed.