Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi in a deal worth €66m (£57m).
The 22-year-old Ukraine international has agreed a five-year contract with the European champions, describing PSG as “the best club in the world, with the best project.” The French side will pay an initial £54.5m, plus £2.6m in performance-related add-ons.
Zabarnyi joined Bournemouth from Dynamo Kyiv in January 2023 and made 86 appearances, becoming a key figure in defence. He was voted the club’s 2023-24 Supporters’ Player of the Season. His departure marks Bournemouth’s third major defensive sale this summer, following Dean Huijsen’s £50m move to Real Madrid and Milos Kerkez’s £40m switch to Liverpool.
The Cherries, who signed Zabarnyi for around £24m, have made significant profits on all three defenders. Huijsen cost £12.6m from Juventus last summer, while Kerkez was bought for £15.5m from AZ Alkmaar.
Bournemouth have already agreed a deal for Zabarnyi’s replacement, Bafode Diakite, from Lille for an initial £30m, rising to £34m with add-ons. They have also signed French left-back Adrien Truffert for £14.4m to cover Kerkez’s exit and are targeting another centre-back.
Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has been brought in to replace Kepa Arrizabalaga, who chose Arsenal over Bournemouth, while teenage forward Eli Junior Kroupi joined in February. Manager Andoni Iraola is also seeking a new striker to compete with Evanilson, as Enes Unal remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury.
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