When Liverpool was unable to complete a deal for Moisés Caicedo or Roméo Lavia, few would have anticipated that a move for then-Stuttgart captain Wataru Endō would be on the agenda. And that is just one example of Liverpool making a habit of signing players people would not have expected in the last year or two.
Similarly, when Liverpool supporters were crying out for their team to sign midfield reinforcements last season, the club instead opted to spend significant sums on the likes of Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo. But despite there seemingly being bigger priorities elsewhere, could the Reds spring another surprise instead?
Italian reporter Rudy Galetti suggested ahead of the January window that Liverpool was one of at least two Premier League clubs who ‘strongly appreciate’ Johan Bakayoko from PSV Eindhoven. Having dealt with them when signing Gakpo, the Reds have an existing relationship they can put to productive us
And the suggestion was that it may have to, with quite the race supposedly developing. In fact, rather than Gakpo, it might have had to have been a Luis Díaz repeat, with Tottenham now ‘looking for a new winger’ and with Bakayoko emerging as one of the targets.
For those who have forgotten, Liverpool accelerated its planned summer move for Díaz when it became clear that Spurs were pushing to sign him in January. After Daniel Levy put in the legwork to get the price down, the Reds swooped in and matched the bid.
But while there is no question regarding Bakayoko’s talent, as we shall see, there was a substantial question about whether he is what the club currently requires. Liverpool’s surprise signings have often worked out in the past — Endō, for instance — but this transfer would have been especially out of left-field.
Figuratively, that is. He is a right winger, meaning he occupies the position held down by Mohamed Salah, with the Egyptian already having a young deputy in the shape of Ben Doak. In the end, nothing came of it, but Voetbalkrant now reports that Liverpool could return for Bakayoko in the summer, with Manchester City also having shortlisted him.
PSV director of football Earnie Stewart has admitted that the player will most likely be sold then. Speaking to Dutch television show Studio Voetbal, when asked if he thought Bakayoko would be at the Philips Stadion next season, Stewart said bluntly: “No, I don’t think so. What Johan is doing at his age is fantastic. He played 30 top matches before the winter break, including international matches with Belgium.”
With Al-Ittihad looking to make Salah the latest global superstar to join the Saudi Arabian league, it may be that Liverpool is keeping a talented target on its radar as a precaution for the scenario in which it loses its number 11. He may never have been so important to the Reds but nobody can be untouchable when the sums of money offered are as remarkable as they are.
It is interesting to compare Bakayoko with Salah though. The former looks to be more of a touchline-hugging winger, a role that the Liverpool man appeared to be occupying at the start of last season, with little success. As Trent Alexander-Arnold’s inverted full-back role sees him move inside, attacking width has to be provided from somewhere.
So, if the PSV starlet is not exactly like Salah, who is he like? EuroEliteScout has stated Bakayoko’s statistical profile matches with that of Neymar in 2015/16, when he accompanied Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez as part of probably the one front three that might stand above Liverpool’s legendary trio.
Perhaps the verdict of Total Football Analysis is more pertinent. They have likened Bakayoko to both Karim Adeyemi and Bukayo Saka, a duo who have been far more realistically linked with the Reds in the recent past. As the illustrious names continue to flow, so do the young Belgian international’s impressive statistics.
Before we go overboard with the FBref findings, it’s vital to note that his numbers are compared against what they call the ‘next eight’ competitions, the second tier below the big five leagues, Champions League and Europa League. But even so, the data paints a picture of a player who has already outgrown the relatively shallow waters of the Eredivisie.
The PSV winger was joint-11th in the Netherlands for possession regains in the final third per 90 minutes last season, averaging 1.1, and that trend has continued into 2023/24. Bakayoko is an elite dribbler with a ferocious work rate and for those reasons alone it’s easy to see why Liverpool would be interested, even if Salah is more than likely going nowhere just yet.
Liverpool could sign Mohamed Salah heir ‘like Neymar’ amid sporting director transfer admission
Liverpool is said to be interested in a wide forward who could eventually replace Mohamed Salah. And PSV has admitted that he will almost certainly be sold this year.
When Liverpool was unable to complete a deal for Moisés Caicedo or Roméo Lavia, few would have anticipated that a move for then-Stuttgart captain Wataru Endō would be on the agenda. And that is just one example of Liverpool making a habit of signing players people would not have expected in the last year or two.
Similarly, when Liverpool supporters were crying out for their team to sign midfield reinforcements last season, the club instead opted to spend significant sums on the likes of Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo. But despite there seemingly being bigger priorities elsewhere, could the Reds spring another surprise instead?
Italian reporter Rudy Galetti suggested ahead of the January window that Liverpool was one of at least two Premier League clubs who ‘strongly appreciate’ Johan Bakayoko from PSV Eindhoven. Having dealt with them when signing Gakpo, the Reds have an existing relationship they can put to productive use.
And the suggestion was that it may have to, with quite the race supposedly developing. In fact, rather than Gakpo, it might have had to have been a Luis Díaz repeat, with Tottenham now ‘looking for a new winger’ and with Bakayoko emerging as one of the targets.
For those who have forgotten, Liverpool accelerated its planned summer move for Díaz when it became clear that Spurs were pushing to sign him in January. After Daniel Levy put in the legwork to get the price down, the Reds swooped in and matched the bid.
But while there is no question regarding Bakayoko’s talent, as we shall see, there was a substantial question about whether he is what the club currently requires. Liverpool’s surprise signings have often worked out in the past — Endō, for instance — but this transfer would have been especially out of left-field.
Figuratively, that is. He is a right winger, meaning he occupies the position held down by Mohamed Salah, with the Egyptian already having a young deputy in the shape of Ben Doak. In the end, nothing came of it, but Voetbalkrant now reports that Liverpool could return for Bakayoko in the summer, with Manchester City also having shortlisted him.
PSV director of football Earnie Stewart has admitted that the player will most likely be sold then. Speaking to Dutch television show Studio Voetbal, when asked if he thought Bakayoko would be at the Philips Stadion next season, Stewart said bluntly: “No, I don’t think so. What Johan is doing at his age is fantastic. He played 30 top matches before the winter break, including international matches with Belgium.”
With Al-Ittihad looking to make Salah the latest global superstar to join the Saudi Arabian league, it may be that Liverpool is keeping a talented target on its radar as a precaution for the scenario in which it loses its number 11. He may never have been so important to the Reds but nobody can be untouchable when the sums of money offered are as remarkable as they are.
It is interesting to compare Bakayoko with Salah though. The former looks to be more of a touchline-hugging winger, a role that the Liverpool man appeared to be occupying at the start of last season, with little success. As Trent Alexander-Arnold’s inverted full-back role sees him move inside, attacking width has to be provided from somewhere.
So, if the PSV starlet is not exactly like Salah, who is he like? EuroEliteScout has stated Bakayoko’s statistical profile matches with that of Neymar in 2015/16, when he accompanied Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez as part of probably the one front three that might stand above Liverpool’s legendary trio.
Perhaps the verdict of Total Football Analysis is more pertinent. They have likened Bakayoko to both Karim Adeyemi and Bukayo Saka, a duo who have been far more realistically linked with the Reds in the recent past. As the illustrious names continue to flow, so do the young Belgian international’s impressive statistics.
Before we go overboard with the FBref findings, it’s vital to note that his numbers are compared against what they call the ‘next eight’ competitions, the second tier below the big five leagues, Champions League and Europa League. But even so, the data paints a picture of a player who has already outgrown the relatively shallow waters of the Eredivisie.
Bakayoko is in the 90th percentile or better for a wide variety of different key metrics, and the top two per cent for five, including assists, progressive carries and successful take-ons. Klopp would likely be alerted to ‘tackles in the attacking third’ being among his elite skillset too.
The PSV winger was joint-11th in the Netherlands for possession regains in the final third per 90 minutes last season, averaging 1.1, and that trend has continued into 2023/24. Bakayoko is an elite dribbler with a ferocious work rate and for those reasons alone it’s easy to see why Liverpool would be interested, even if Salah is more than likely going nowhere just yet.