Despite Liverpool making contact this summer, Bournemouth star Illia Zabarnyi is set to shun Premier League interest to sign for Paris Saint-Germain, TBR Football can reveal.
Illia Zabarnyi has been outstanding for Bournemouth since signing for the club in 2023, but he’s now set to follow Dean Huijsen in leaving the Premier League.
Liverpool wanted to sign Huijsen but he chose to join Real Madrid, also shunning interest from the likes of Chelsea.
And it’s now understood that Zabarnyi is set to do similar, a 22-year-old who clearly has a big future ahead.
Zabarnyi is understood to be firmly on Liverpool and Chelsea’s radar, as well as Newcastle United, and contact has been made.
That being said, TBR Football understands that PSG have already made headway on a £60m deal for Zabarnyi.
With Liverpool close to signing Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, the Cherries are set to sanction Zabarnyi’s exit, meaning Andoni Iraola will be losing three of his starting back four, all in one summer.
Illia Zabarnyi looking on while playing for Bournemouth against Aston Villa in the Premier League
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
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“Bournemouth realise, for want of a better phrase, that Zabarnyi’s head has been turned,” our chief football correspondent Graeme Bailey confirms.
“That’s because of PSG’s interest in Zabarnyi and there is also interest elsewhere in the Premier League – all the top six clubs like him, they all admire him as a player.
“Bournemouth’s asking price is surprising, it’s around £60m they’ll get, so it does look like he’s going to, and PSG are most likely.
“We previously shared that Chelsea and Liverpool both like Zabarnyi – but would Liverpool take two Bournemouth defenders in the same window? Well they wanted Huijsen alongside Kerkez, so why not.
“But as it stands, Bournemouth realise that Zabarnyi wants to go and a third member of their back four is looking set to leave.”
Andoni Iraola has already explained what Liverpool are missing out on
Speaking in February, Bournemouth boss Iraola perhaps already pointed out why clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea have been so intrigued by Zabarnyi.
Liverpool have a tricky contact situation with Ibrahima Konate right now, and are on the hunt for a centre-back.
And Iraola’s praise for Zabarnyi suggests that a good one really did get away from Liverpool.
Iraola said: “I’m not sure if we decided to change him for one minute in the time I’ve been here.
“So that basically says everything about the confidence we have in him and how reliable and how robust he is and he’s the kind of player that is very easy to coach.
“For a coach, he pays attention, he comes every day to train with a great attitude and I am enjoying also his development because now when I arrived he was a great player but quite shy.
“He didn’t talk a lot and now you see him managing everything from behind, shouting to the ones in front asking for the others and this is a show of how he’s developing and he’s becoming a more important player even for us.
“I love him personally and as a player.”