There is a new European star for Liverpool fans to monitor – PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko.
The 20-year-old Belgian’s name emerged when reports in Holland, namely Eindhovens Dagblad writer Rik Elfrink, suggested that he had become subject to an enquiry from Liverpool.
Other outlets took their own view and highlighted that Bakayoko could be seen as a successor to Mohamed Salah should the Reds hero join former team-mates Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and Fabinho in Saudi Arabia.
Now, the chances of that happening this summer have already been vehemently denied by the Egyptian’s agent. But with Salah turning 32 next June, there comes a time when alternatives do need to be drawn up.
The aim for Jurgen Klopp his summer has been rebuilding the midfield at Anfield. The 2022-23 season was one to forget for his Liverpool side after failing to meet the standards that they set during their pursuit of the quadruple the campaign before.
With the transfer window slamming shut on September 1, Klopp will be hoping he has his business wrapped up. Europa League football makes up the calendar for the Reds this season, but Klopp will have his eyes firmly fixed on breaking back into the Champions League, after finishing outside the top four for just the second time during his tenure.
The likely focus for Liverpool next summer will be on replenishing their defensive ranks. By that stage, Joel Matip, who is already behind Ibrahima Konate in the pecking order, will be out of contract. Virgil van Dijk, meanwhile, is now in his 30s and many would consider that he is heading toward the twilight of his career. A left-sided central defender has been mooted, but what is for certain is that the backline is likely to face change soon.
That is something that has already happened to the strike force. Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez have all been welcomed to Merseyside in recent seasons, alongside fresh blood in the form of Ben Doak. Going the other way, the Reds have bid farewell to Firmino and Sadio Mane, who along with Salah, formed part of Klopp’s famous and formidable front three.
But what of Salah? While he is showing no signs of slowing down, there will soon come a day when he is not running down the wing in the red shirt.
Bakayoko is among the first alternatives to be named as a possible replacement and while Klopp is said to be a fan, club sources have sought to cool links to the youngster, given the range of forward options currently at their manager’s disposal. But what would Bakayoko bring?
The sample size surrounding the Belgium international is small in comparison to Salah. But his profile is similar to the Egyptian, with both players liking to cut inside from the right onto their left foot.
Liverpool and their demand for a pressing machine is a stipulation that can determine many signings. In that respect, the PSV forward has 5.79 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which has him in the 86th percentile, accompanied by 1.23 tackles won per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the 87th percentile, via stats provided by FBRef.
Many wingers across the world will look at Liverpool games every weekend to mimic the deadly dribbling that Salah has in his arsenal. Statistically, Bakayoko is in the 99th percentile and 94th percentile, respectively, for progressive carries and successful take-ons (7.22 per 90 minutes and 3.07 per 90 minutes).
