Happy birthday, Ilya Zabarnyi! | OneFootball

This Tuesday, September 1, as they prepare to host AS Monaco this Friday for Matchday 3 of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain have a small event to celebrate. It is the birthday of Ilya Zabarnyi, the defender who turns 24 today.

https://twitter.com/PSG_inside/status/2094694951632118094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Having arrived at the end of the 2025 summer transfer window after lengthy negotiations between PSG and Bournemouth, Zabarnyi has not yet fully convinced in the capital. There have been some good performances, but also others that were rather disappointing. It must be said that the defender carries some of the weight of an expensive transfer (more than €60 million) that was difficult to finalize. Not to mention the hope that he can replace the legendary Marquinhos (32) in the long term.

That may be a bit too much, at least for now. Above all, the Ukrainian should be seen as an additional option in defense and as a player with the potential for strong development. Zabarnyi has shown certain qualities, and now his adaptation will need to allow him to confirm that and keep progressing. In the meantime, we wish him a happy birthday.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.