Senegal international Ibrahim Mbaye has made an impressive start to life at Aston Villa, registering three assists in his first three starts for the English club following his move from Paris Saint-Germain.
The 18-year-old winger provided another decisive contribution on Wednesday, 21 October, when Aston Villa defeated Viking FK 3-1 at Villa Park to record their third consecutive Champions League victory.
Mbaye delivered a corner that Ross Barkley converted to open the scoring in the 23rd minute, giving the hosts an early advantage in the European fixture.
The assist continued a productive run for the young Senegalese, who has quickly begun to demonstrate his attacking qualities since joining the Premier League side permanently from PSG in the summer.
Two of his three assists have come in the Champions League, with the other recorded in the English League Cup against Coventry City.
His early returns offer encouragement for Aston Villa manager Unai Emery as the winger works to establish himself in the team’s starting line-up.
Mbaye had already impressed in his previous European appearance against Fenerbahçe.
Making his first home start for Villa in that match, he played a part in the opening goal before assisting the team’s fifth in a commanding 6-0 victory.
His latest contribution against Viking FK again highlighted his ability to create opportunities from set pieces, with his delivery allowing Barkley to give Villa the lead.
Aston Villa subsequently increased their advantage through an Emiliano Buendía penalty and an own goal from Henrik Heggheim before completing a 3-1 win.
The result extended Villa’s winning run in the Champions League to three matches, while Mbaye continued to build momentum during the early stages of his English career.
Aston Villa announced the permanent signing of Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain on 1 September. Sky Sports reported that the transfer fee was around £47m, underlining the investment the club made in the young attacker.
Despite his age, Mbaye arrived in England with considerable experience at the highest level of European football, having developed through PSG’s academy before progressing into the French club’s senior team.
He joined the Parisian academy in 2018, aged 10, and made his Ligue 1 debut in August 2024 when he was 16. He became the youngest player to start a league match for PSG.
His time in France also brought opportunities to compete for major honours. Mbaye made 42 appearances for PSG’s first team and won eight trophies, including two Champions League titles and two French league championships.
