PSG abandon pursuit of Algeria and Bayer Leverkusen youngster Ibrahim Maza

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly ended their interest in Bayer Leverkusen forward Ibrahim Maza, ruling out a potential move for the highly rated Algerian international during the January transfer window.

As per reports, the French champions have completely dropped their pursuit of the 20-year-old after initial discussions failed to progress as expected.

Maza had emerged as a possible attacking reinforcement for PSG as the club considers its options ahead of the winter transfer window, particularly following the injury setback suffered by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The Georgian forward sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury earlier this month, with the setback threatening to keep him out for the remainder of the campaign.

His absence has forced PSG to assess how best to maintain their attacking strength during the second half of the season. Although head coach Luis Enrique has several internal options available to cover for Kvaratskhelia, the possibility of recruiting another attacker has not been completely ruled out.

Maza was among the players considered as a potential addition, having attracted attention with his performances for Bayer Leverkusen. The youngster’s versatility and attacking qualities had made him an interesting option for the Parisian outfit.

However, according to Tavolieri, the proposed move has now been taken off the table following the manner in which initial contact was handled.

During preliminary discussions with PSG, Maza’s father reportedly sought to involve Stellar as an intermediary to assess the French club’s level of interest in signing his son.

The approach was understood to be an attempt to establish whether PSG were genuinely interested in pursuing a deal before taking further steps.

However, the arrangement did not go down well with PSG sporting adviser Luis Campos, who was reportedly unhappy with the approach and subsequently decided to end the club’s interest in the player.

As a result, Maza is no longer being considered as a January recruitment option for the Ligue 1 champions, despite his earlier emergence as a possible target.

PSG are now expected to continue assessing alternative solutions as they prepare for the remainder of the season without Kvaratskhelia, with Luis Enrique and Campos facing the task of ensuring the team retains sufficient attacking depth.

For Maza, attention will remain on his development at Bayer Leverkusen, where he continues to attract interest following his emergence as one of Algeria’s promising young attacking talents.