LiveFriday · 16 October 2026Vol. VIII · No. 289
Bangalore
22°C · Overcast
Fri, 16 Oct
Latest
Sports

Aston Villa sign Mbaye and Harwood-Bellis

Aston Villa complete the signings of Senegal winger Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris St-Germain and English centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Southampton.

Aston Villa sign Mbaye and Harwood-Bellis

Aston Villa have completed the signings of Senegal winger Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris St-Germain and English centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Southampton.

Mbaye, 18, arrives from Paris St-Germain for a fee of 55m euros (£47m), while Villa could pay up to £29m for Harwood-Bellis.

Villa have paid an initial fee of £25m - with £4m in potential add-ons - for the 24-year-old defender after seeing two previous bids rejected.

Mbaye scored three goals and provided two assists in 31 games in all competitions last season as PSG successfully defended their Ligue 1 and Champions League titles.

The teenager appeared in all four of Senegal's matches at the 2026 World Cup, netting in a 3-1 defeat by France to become the youngest African player to score at a men's World Cup.

Mbaye joined PSG in the summer of 2018 from FC Versailles 78, progressing through their youth academy and making his senior debut in August 2024 at the age of 16.

The winger was born in France and represented Les Bleus at youth level, but switched international allegiance to Senegal in 2025 after qualifying through his father.

A product of Manchester City's youth academy, Harwood-Bellis joined Southampton for £20m in 2024 after impressing on loan.

A loan spell at Burnley in 2022-23 ended with a Championship winner's medal, before he helped Southampton to promotion via the play-offs in 2023-24.

Southampton finished bottom of the table in Harwood-Bellis' first season as a Premier League defender, before they reached the Championship play-off final last season.

However, Southampton were disqualified after the Spygate scandal and began the current campaign with a four-point deduction.

Harwood-Bellis apologised for making a binoculars gesture during their play-off semi-final second leg victory over Middlesbrough.

Mbaye is the latest attacker to join Unai Emery's side following Alejandro Garnacho, Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson.

Harwood-Bellis replaces Ezri Konsa in Villa's defence, after the England centre-back made a £55m move to defending Premier League champions Arsenal.

While Villa have spent around £280m over the summer, Unai Emery has lost several key members of his Europa League-winning squad.

The club have raised over £313m in player sales, including Morgan Rogers' £117m move to Chelsea and Ollie Watkins joining Al-Hilal for £51m.

Analysis: Villa still spending despite restrictions

Aston Villa have committed to spend about £280m in Emery's summer rebuild.

The arrivals of Mbaye and Harwood-Bellis on deadline day shows Villa are continuing to spend big.

They have broken their transfer record twice with the arrivals of forwards Johan Manzambi (£52m) and Nicolas Jackson (£65m) so cannot plead poverty.

If all clauses and add-ons are triggered Villa would be pushing £300m this summer, despite needing to sell to comply with Uefa and Premier League financial rules.

Uefa limits the amount of revenue spent on wages, transfers and agent fees to 70% and Villa have already breached the regulations twice.

They were fined £19.4m in June - with £12.9m suspended - having been hit with a £9.5m sanction for a similar breach the year before and need to ensure they break even because of their settlement agreement with Uefa.

Despite that, Matteo Ruggeri (£17m), Harwood-Bellis (£30m), Joao Gomes (£38m) Jackson, Zion Suzuki (£30m), Manzambi and Mbaye (£47m) have all arrived, while midfielder Leon Goretzka has also joined on a free transfer after leaving Bayern Munich.

That comes having brought in just over £300m through the sales of Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins.

That figure also includes the £10.3m departure to Benfica of Enzo Barrenechea, who never played a Villa game, and Roma paying £21.3m to make Donyell Malen's loan permanent.

Emery said following Monday's defeat at Arsenal he was happy with their transfer business, and that everything Villa had planned for they had achieved.

It was always going to be a summer of change at Villa Park, although the depth of the transition with so many key players leaving is something Emery has already admitted he did not expect.

Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page

Related in Sports

NRL gap a factor in France's heavy defeat by Samoa, says boss
Sports

NRL gap a factor in France's heavy defeat by Samoa, says boss

France boss Laurent Frayssinous suggests the gap between the NRL and Super League was a huge factor in their 78-4 defeat by Samoa at the Men's Rugby League World Cup.

BBC Sport16 Oct
Rew, 18, to captain England Lions in West Indies
Sports

Rew, 18, to captain England Lions in West Indies

The elevation of teenager Thomas Rew to Lions captain is a further sign of the high regard he is held in by the England hierarchy and follows him being given his first senior call-up and central contract.

BBC Sport16 Oct
The rapid rise of a former art dealer to Europe's hottest young manager
Sports

The rapid rise of a former art dealer to Europe's hottest young manager

How Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler has gone from Germany's fifth tier to being reportedly of interest to Manchester United.

BBC Sport16 Oct
Does the Premier League 'Big Six' still exist?
Sports

Does the Premier League 'Big Six' still exist?

For years the Premier League has had a defined 'Big Six', comprised of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur., but could this era be coming to an end?

BBC Sport16 Oct
The Olympic sprinter now bedbound for 22 hours a day
Sports

The Olympic sprinter now bedbound for 22 hours a day

Beth Dobbin ran for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Five years on, she is largely bedbound after being diagnosed with ME, a devastating illness for which there is no cure.

BBC Sport16 Oct
O'Neill defiant in defeat but Celtic's 'flat-track bullies' fail another big test
Sports

O'Neill defiant in defeat but Celtic's 'flat-track bullies' fail another big test

Celtic have now lost two Europa League group games, as well as two derbies - but Martin O'Neill is adamant he can see positive signs.

BBC Sport15 Oct

Latest Across Vijaya Chronicle

HT Evening Brief October 16: Abhijeet Dipke detained ahead of Delhi march; police deny claims of Dhruv Rathee's arrest
Crime

HT Evening Brief October 16: Abhijeet Dipke detained ahead of Delhi march; police deny claims of Dhruv Rathee's arrest

Here's a quick recap of the day's top headlines from India, the world and the field of sports and entertainment. | India News

Hindustan Times16 Oct
ABVP wins 7 universities, BJD’s BCJD secures 4 in Odisha student union polls after 8-year gap
Crime

ABVP wins 7 universities, BJD’s BCJD secures 4 in Odisha student union polls after 8-year gap

ABVP won seven of Odisha’s 13 universities, while the BJD’s student wing, BCJD, secured four in the first student union elections in eight years. | India News

Hindustan Times16 Oct
'Food handlers with long nails, fungus on veggies': Top Delhi hotel operator gets FSSAI notice
Crime

'Food handlers with long nails, fungus on veggies': Top Delhi hotel operator gets FSSAI notice

Food handlers were found working without gloves and hairnets, wearing jewellery, and with long nails, the FSSAI said. | India News

Hindustan Times16 Oct
Telangana CM Revanth seeks film stars’ help to prepare people for El Nino challenges
Cinema

Telangana CM Revanth seeks film stars’ help to prepare people for El Nino challenges

Telangana CM seeks film stars and media to raise awareness and promote water and power conservation ahead of potential impact of El Niño

The Hindu — Cinema16 Oct
Bengaluru Police Order 2021 ‘unconstitutional’, must be revoked: Vinay Sreenivasa | Decode Karnataka
Local

Bengaluru Police Order 2021 ‘unconstitutional’, must be revoked: Vinay Sreenivasa | Decode Karnataka

As visuals of police action from a protest against SIR and India’s Chief Election Commissioner near KR Circle in Bengaluru on October 12 went viral on social media, the criticism was swift and scathing.

The Hindu — Bangalore16 Oct
Bengaluru Namma Metro to extend services for T20 cricket match on October 17
Local

Bengaluru Namma Metro to extend services for T20 cricket match on October 17

Bengaluru Namma Metro extends late-night services for T20 match on Oct 17, with QR-enabled two-way tickets and gate-specific station guidance.

The Hindu — Bangalore16 Oct