Having made a big impression at the start of the season with Paris Saint-Germain, Ibrahim Mbaye has gradually faded from view. At 18, the Senegalese striker is already at a pivotal moment in his career, marked by a sharp drop in his playing time since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Following Senny Mayulu, who is currently in negotiations over whether or not to extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, Ibrahim Mbaye also finds himself at the centre of the news. Whilst he had established himself as a genuine option in the Parisian rotation last autumn, the Senegalese striker is now seeing his role diminish.
A relative demotion in the rotation
Indeed, the figures clearly reflect this shift. Of his 993 minutes played this season, Mbaye accumulated around 806 between August and December, representing over 80% of his total. He had then made a string of appearances, including several standout starts against Auxerre, Strasbourg, Le Havre and Metz (90 minutes) and during the trip to Barcelona (65 minutes), proof of the confidence Luis Enrique had in him at the time. Since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations, the trend has reversed: just 187 minutes played, including a mere 14 minutes across his last four appearances in March, with several matches where he did not feature at all, notably against Chelsea and Monaco.
This development can largely be attributed to the situation in Paris. The return of several attacking players, such as Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué, combined with the rise of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola, has intensified competition. Luis Enrique has narrowed his choices to a more mobile quartet, where Mbaye, being less experienced, is struggling to find his place. “I don’t know, you’d have to ask him, not me. We’ve shown him a lot of trust. There are times when you feel more at ease with your national team than with your club, but that doesn’t change what we think of him; he can show his quality in Paris too,” the Spanish manager assured, however.
A decisive summer already?
However, this cautious approach over the past month and a half inevitably raises questions about what comes next. Under contract until June 2028, Mbaye remains attached to the club that nurtured him, but his current situation is prompting serious consideration as the summer transfer window approaches. Highly regarded in England, where he is represented by an English agency, the Lion of Teranga had already attracted several enquiries this winter without PSG opening the door. Aston Villa have since made their move, and other Premier League clubs are closely monitoring his progress, according to L’Équipe, proof that his stock remains high despite his reduced playing time.
PSG therefore finds itself facing a real dilemma. Should it continue to integrate him gradually into the squad rotation, hoping to give him more playing time in a busy schedule, or capitalise on his value to consider a strategic transfer, possibly with safeguards such as a buy-back clause? At just 18 years old, the Senegalese player – a key playmaker and goalscorer during the international break – still has time, but in such a competitive environment, patience has its limits. And whilst Luis Enrique claims to have faith in him, the coming weeks will be decisive in determining whether that faith will actually translate onto the pitch.
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