Aston Villa star Ibrahim Mbaye, Barcelona badge in inset
Aston Villa star Ibrahim Mbaye, Barcelona badge in inset
The 18-year-old was signed in the summer in a £47million deal from Paris Saint-Germain.
That looks like a bargain right now, as the young winger is set to play a huge part in the B6 side's next era.
Unai Emery's side were demolished in a 3-0 drubbing by Barcelona in the Champions League.
However, Mbaye still comes out with credit, despite that dismal result for his side.
The 18-cap Senegal international proved that he is vital to the future of the Villans against Hansi Flick's side.
How did Ibrahim Mbaye perform in Aston Villa's defeat to Barcelona?
Mbaye only got on the pitch for 28 minutes at Camp Nou, but he proved his ability in that time.
He misplaced just one of his eight pass attempts in the contest, for an 88 per cent success rate, according to FotMob data.
The Senegalese ace created two chances in his cameo, and managed three touches in the opposition box.
He also completed 67 per cent of his three crossing attempts and made one line-breaking pass.
In terms of duels, he won two of three on the ground, and the only one that he attempted in the air, for 67 and 100 per cent success rates.
Why Mbaye can make left-wing spot his own at Villa
The next part for Mbaye is to add goals and assists to his game, as he has just one assist so far.
In the Premier League, he has created 0.34 expected goals so far and has managed to put 40 per cent of his efforts on target
Once that clicks, he will be very dangerous and Emery's side will have an elite player on their hands.
Right now, the Villans operate with Johan Manzambi or Emi Buendia on the left wing, and they are primarily attacking midfielders.
Therefore, the spot on the left is Mbaye's to take, if he can convince Emery that he is the right man for the job.
If he continues to play how he did against the Blaugrana, and can add contributions to the mix, it will be his position to lose.
At the moment, he just needs to keep working hard in training and show what he can do when he gets the chance.