PSG set to make transfer history with instant response to Club World Cup defeat

Paris Saint-Germain have reached a 'preliminary agreement' for one of their top transfer targets, according to reports – and he could feature at this summer's Club World Cup if they progress to the knockout stages.

Luis Enrique's side suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat against Brazilian side Botofogo on Thursday as a first-half goal from Igor Jesus sealed a memorable three points over the reigning European champions.

After an emphatic 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in their tournament opener, PSG will be hoping to progress to the knockout stages as they face MLS side Seattle Sounders in their final group stage game.

If all goes to plan, the French side will be able to register Ukrainian international Ilya Zabarni after it emerged that Bournemouth and PSG have reached a preliminary agreement for the highly-rated defender.

That's according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, who claims the details around a potential deal are being finalised, with the 22-year-old centre-back set to sign a five-year contract at the Parc des Princes.

In addition to those claims, French publication L'Equipe suggest a deal is expected to be worth around €60 million [£51.3m] excluding bonuses.

PSG, meanwhile, are hopeful that Zabarni will be registered in time for the knockout stages of the Club World Cup, although they'll need to progress beyond the group stage to make that happen. They currently sit second in Group B.

FIFA has added a mid-tournament registration window from June 27 to July 3, which allows clubs to replace and add players.

"The objective is to encourage clubs and players whose contracts are expiring to find an appropriate solution to facilitate the players’ participation," say FIFA. "This will ensure that the best players will be playing, allowing clubs to add new recruits even during the tournament."

If a deal is struck and they progress, PSG would become the first team to sign a player and register them for the Club World Cup knockout stages.

Zabarnyi was one of Bournemouth's standout performers last season. Image credit: Getty

Zabarnyi, who joined Bournemouth from Dynamo Kyiv in January 2023 for a fee of around £24 million, has played a key role for the Cherries since his much-anticipated arrival.

In total, he has played 86 times in all competitions, including 39 appearances across all competitions last season as they finished ninth in the Premier League.