Aston Villa have finalized the signings of two new players ahead of the new Premier League season: 18-year-old Senegalese winger Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris St-Germain (PSG) and 24-year-old English defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Southampton. Mbaye’s transfer from PSG reportedly cost Villa around £47 million, while Harwood-Bellis’ move comes with an initial fee of £25 million, with the potential for an additional £4 million depending on performance-related clauses. This marks the second time Villa has broken their own transfer record this summer, following earlier deals for forwards Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson. Mbaye, who joined PSG in 2018 from a French club called FC Versailles 78, made his senior debut at just 16 years old in August 2024. He played a key role in PSG’s success last season, contributing three goals and two assists in 31 games across all competitions as the club won both Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Mbaye also represented Senegal in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, scoring in a match against France and becoming the youngest African player to score at a men's World Cup. He switched international allegiance to Senegal in 2025 after qualifying through his father. Harwood-Bellis, a product of Manchester City’s youth academy, joined Southampton in 2024 for £20 million after a successful loan spell at Burnley, where he helped them win promotion to the Premier League. He played a significant role in Southampton’s Championship play-off final last season before the club was disqualified from the competition due to the Spygate scandal, which involved the use of illegal devices to monitor opponents. Harwood-Bellis has apologized for a controversial gesture he made during the play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough. Despite spending over £280 million this summer, Aston Villa have faced financial challenges due to Uefa and Premier League regulations that limit how much clubs can spend on wages and transfers. Villa have already been fined for breaching these rules and must ensure they balance their finances as part of a settlement agreement with Uefa. However, the club has raised over £313 million through player sales, including high-profile transfers like Morgan Rogers to Chelsea and Ollie Watkins to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal. Manager Unai Emery has stated that he is satisfied with the club’s transfer business, despite the significant changes at Villa Park.