He floated in the air a scent of impatience within Paris Saint-Germain since the opening of the summer market: the supporters awaited a strong first movement, and the club was not long in offering them a recruit of choice. But the identity of this first defector, a priority target of Luis Enrique and Luis Campos, has long been secret, fueling the wildest speculations. After a discreet but intensive phase of negotiations, PSG finally holds its first reinforcement, the fruit of a major agreement found with Bournemouth around € 60 million.
Illya Zabarnyi, the Ukrainian tower arrives in Paris
The name is now official: it is Illya Zabarnyi, 22 -year -old central defender, an Ukrainian international already endowed with 49 selections and revealed to the general public under the colors of Dynamo kyiv before asserting himself in the Premier League. PSG, seduced by its modern profile, its solidity and its own revival, was tenacious in the face of English competition to attach its services. According to several French and English sources, including Foot Mercato, an agreement has been found in recent hours, even if the final signature still depended on some contractual adjustments between the two clubs.
Paris secures its defense with Zabarnyi
Arriving with great fanfare, Zabarnyi will have to find his place in an already well -supplied defense, composed of Marquinhos, William Pacho and Lucas Beraldo. A sign of PSG's ambition, its arrival also coincides with an unprecedented question: cohabitation within the locker room with Matvei Safonov, Russian goalkeeper recruited last summer. In the current geopolitical context, the Parisian management will have to ensure that everything is done to guarantee a good understanding, but the intelligence and maturity of the players should take precedence over the litigation between their respective countries.
PSG accelerates, but does not stop there
This transfer, which should be formalized in the next few days, shows Paris's desire to renew its spine by focusing on youth and internationalization. But it may well only be a start. In the slide, Luis Campos keeps an attentive eye on the market and notably targets Jules Koundé, the defender of FC Barcelona, even if the latter seems close to an extension in Catalonia.
PSG therefore opens its transfer window with an ambitious bet: that of injecting new blood into its defense, while preparing to manage the subtleties of group life at the time when geopolitics sometimes invites itself into football. Anyway, the arrival of Illya Zabarnyi confirms that the club does not intend to fall asleep on its laurels, determined to keep its reference status in Ligue 1 as in Europe.
