22-year-old Bournemouth star Illia Zabarnyi is set to shun Premier League interest to sign for Paris Saint-Germain despite Liverpool making contact this summer.
The centre-back was exceptional during the 2024/25 season and if it weren’t for the form of Dean Huijsen, there would be way more hype over the Ukrainian star.
One of the best 1v1 defenders in the Premier League this season, it’s no surprise that Liverpool are one of the sides linked to sign him.
Liverpool are in the market for a new centre-back this summer although it doesn’t appear to be at the top of their shopping list despite Joe Gomez being seriously injury prone and the lack of conviction in Jarell Quansah’s displays.
Ibrahima Konate may well leave the club as well but it does not seem as though Liverpool will be the club signing Illia Zabarnyi this summer – nor any other Premier League side for that matter.
Illia Zabarnyi set to reject Premier League interest to move to PSG
Having made 31 Premier League appearances for a total of 3,114 minutes, there is a lot of data for top clubs to base their assessment of Zabarnyi on but Liverpool will not be the club putting that scouting to use.
TBR Football‘s Graeme Bailey reports that the young defender is set to reject all offers to stay in the Premier League amid interest from PSG with Bournemouth reportedly valuing Zabarnyi at £60m.
“Bournemouth realise, for want of a better phrase, that Zabarnyi’s head has been turned,” Bailey reports.
“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.”
Aside from Huijsen, Liverpool haven’t been seriously linked with any centre-backs this summer, suggesting the Reds have yet to zero in on their man.
They are, however, in talks with Bournemouth to sign Milos Kerkez which should be wrapped up once resources can be diverted from the Florian Wirtz operation.