Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of Bournemouth centre-back Illia Zabarnyi in a deal worth £57m (€66m). The transfer brings an end to PSG’s two-month long pursuit of the highly rated Ukraine international. The Ligue 1 and European champions will pay £54.5m (€63m) up front, with an additional £2.6m (€3m) in performance-related add-ons.
The Ukrainian joined Bournemouth in 2023 from Dynamo Kyiv for around £24m and has since developed into one of the Premier League’s most promising centre-backs. Zabarnyi has signed a five-year contract at the Parc des Princes and described his new club as “the best in the world with the best project.”
The signing of Ukrainian international Illia Zabarnyi makes the 22-year-old the first player from Ukraine to represent the French champions. The central defender will wear the number six shirt in Paris. Zabarnyi began his career at Dynamo Kyiv, where he made 86 first-team appearances and helped the club win the Ukrainian Premier League title, Ukrainian cup and Super Cup. He has since earned 49 caps and scored three goals for his country, becoming a key figure in Ukraine’s defence.
Paris Saint-Germain are delighted to welcome Illia Zabarnyi to the Club.
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 12, 2025
The 22-year-old central defender, who will wear the number six shirt, is the Club’s first-ever Ukrainian player.
🔗 https://t.co/mRwNZS3uXI pic.twitter.com/NojPN9mhgO
The defender joined Bournemouth in 2023 and quickly became an important player. Last season, he played 36 matches, scored one goal and helped the club achieve their highest-ever Premier League points total of 56. Bournemouth were reluctant to sell one of their key defenders but ultimately sanctioned the move after Zabarnyi made clear his desire to join PSG.
His departure marks the Cherries’ third major defensive sale this summer, following Dean Huijsen’s £50m transfer to Real Madrid and Milos Kerkez’s £40m move to Liverpool. As a result, Zabarnyi’s exit represents a significant profit for the club but also leaves a major gap to fill in defence for the Premier League side. To address that, Bournemouth have agreed a deal to sign Lille’s Bafode Diakite for £35.3m (€40m).
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