Chelsea and Liverpool battle as 'take it or leave it' offer submitted for €75m PSG transfer target

Suraj Radia

• 12 Jun 2025 16:45 BST
• 4 min read

News

Chelsea and Liverpool could rival Paris Saint-Germain in the pursuit of Ilya Zabarnyi, with Bournemouth ready to demand a significant fee if they are to sell their star defender.

Zabarnyi has starred for Bournemouth since joining the club from Dynamo Kyiv in 2023 for €23 million, including forming an impressive partnership with the now-departed Dean Huijsen at the heart of Andoni Iraola’s defence.

Current ETV

Illia Zabarnyi

D (C)

B'mouth

Illia Zabarnyi

D (C)

B'mouth

€59.8M

ETV Range

€53.8M - €65.8M

View full profile

With Huijsen joining Real Madrid after they activated his €60m release clause and Liverpool closing in on the signing of left-back Milos Kerkez, Bournemouth are determined not to lose yet another piece of their defence this summer.

However, PSG have pushed hard for Zabarnyi and saw a €50m offer rejected by Bournemouth, with the 22-year-old also keen to continue his career in France with the Champions League winners.

Bournemouth’s mammoth sales this summer has meant the Cherries have no need to cash in on any more stars after Kerkez and they are understood to have placed a pricetag of €75m on Zabarnyi.

And Ukrainian outlet Tribuna has confirmed that Liverpool and Chelsea are among the teams who have also retained an interest in Zabarnyi, although the situation may not progress until after the Club World Cup.

PSG make ‘take it or leave it’ offer for Zabarnyi

Bournemouth’s asking price may prove to be a stumbling block for teams interested in Zabarnyi, particularly with the Ukrainian international having four years remaining on his contract.

The standoff has led to PSG asserting their €50m bid as a ‘take it or leave it’ offer to Bournemouth, according to reports in France, in the hope that Zabarnyi may put pressure on his club to sanction his exit.

It is unlikely that Chelsea or Liverpool see Zabarnyi as a priority option, particularly at the current price point, although both sides could join PSG in monitoring the situation throughout the summer.

With The Athletic David Ornstein having claimed there is a ‘good chance’ Zabarnyi could leave this summer, much could depend on the player’s satisfaction, although Bournemouth will be focused on resolving Kerkez’s transfer to Liverpool before considering any further sales.

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