PSG COMPLETE £57M ZABARNYY SIGNING! PARISIAN GIANTS LAND BOURNEMOUTH DEFENDER IN RECORD DEAL
Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of Ukrainian centre-back Illia Zabarnyi from Bournemouth, agreeing a five-year contract in a deal worth an initial £54.5m, with a further £2.6m tied to performance bonuses.
The 22-year-old, who joined the Cherries from Dynamo Kyiv in January 2023, quickly became a cornerstone of their back line, racking up 86 appearances and earning the club’s 2023-24 Supporters’ Player of the Season award. Speaking after sealing his move, Zabarnyi called PSG “the best club in the world, with the best project.”
His departure marks the third high-profile defensive exit from the Vitality Stadium this summer, following Dean Huijsen’s £50m switch to Real Madrid and Milos Kerkez’s £40m move to Liverpool. While Bournemouth had anticipated selling one defender, insiders at the club admit losing all three in the same window has been an unexpected blow.
The sizeable offers, however, proved too tempting to refuse. Huijsen’s move was particularly profitable, with Bournemouth more than tripling the £12.8m they paid Juventus just six months earlier. The young Dutchman had also attracted interest from Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea before Madrid struck a deal.
To fill the gaps, Bournemouth have moved quickly. French international Bafodé Diakité is set to arrive from Lille for a fee of £30m rising to £34m, while Adrien Truffert has been signed for £14.4m to cover Kerkez’s departure. Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has joined to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga, who opted for Arsenal over the Cherries, and teenage forward Eli Junior Kroupi arrived earlier in the year.
Manager Andoni Iraola is also pushing for a new striker to provide competition for Evanilson, with Enes Unal still sidelined by a long-term knee injury. Despite the disruption, Bournemouth will pocket a substantial profit from the trio of defensive sales — Zabarnyi was bought for £24m, Kerkez for £15.5m, and Huijsen for £12.6m.
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