PSG Suffer Setback as Bournemouth Stance on €70M-Rated Newcastle Target Revealed | OneFootball

PSG are expected to make signing a center-back one of their top priorities this summer, and Bournemouth defender Illya Zabarnyi has emerged as a serious option. But landing the Ukrainian defender won’t be simple.

The French club has leaned into a youth-focused recruitment strategy in recent windows, bringing in players like Lucas Beraldo and Willian Pacho. That approach is likely to continue, even with the summer transfer window still weeks away and speculation already building.

According to L’Équipe’s Loïc Tanzi, PSG have opened talks with Bournemouth over a potential move for Zabarnyi. The 22-year-old is said to be eager to join before the FIFA Club World Cup, but Bournemouth are holding firm on a €70 million asking price.

More recently, EuroSport’s Romain Collet-Gaudin reported the deal is nearing completion, with Zabarnyi expected to make the switch to Paris after the Club World Cup.

Bournemouth want to keep PSG, Newcastle United target

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Although Zabarnyi is closing in on a move to PSG, he has yet to officially join the capital club. On After Foot, RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins shared the latest update on the Bournemouth defender’s situation.

“The negotiations are dragging on now between Bournemouth and PSG because there’s a gap between what Bournemouth are asking for and what PSG are willing to offer,” Hawkins said (via Le10Sport). “The player himself has already agreed to join PSG. A five-year contract agreement is already in place between the two sides, but now the clubs need to come to terms.

“Bournemouth were initially asking for around €75 million. They’re willing to lower the price a bit, but not cut it in half, if you get what I mean. So, they need to find some common ground. Everyone involved believes the deal will eventually get done, but for now, it’s not finalized.”

“There’s another factor: Bournemouth don’t necessarily need to sell. They’ve already lost Kerkez on the left, Huijsen was sold for €62 million, and they’re starting to get picked apart. Their winger Semenyo is also being tracked by several clubs. They did want to keep Zabarnyi, but they now realize that’s going to be tough, so they’re trying to get the most out of the deal to rebuild their squad with all the money they’ve brought in.”

Still, PSG could face a challenge in securing the talented defender, as The iPaper reported that Zabarnyi, a serious target for Newcastle and admired by Manchester City, is believed to have a starting price tag of around £50 million. A transfer isn’t done until the player is holding the jersey, so it will be interesting to see if PSG can get this deal over the line.