Liverpool signing of IDEAL Salah replacement hinges on Rashford decision

Imre Himmelbauer

• Updated: 20 Jan 2025 15:05 GMT
• 4 min read

There is a chance that Johan Bakayoko will leave PSV for Borussia Dortmund this month.

The Belgian attacker has been in the spotlight for a while, but now it seems that he is finally taking action. According to Sacha Tavolieri, Borussia Dortmund see Bakayoko as an ideal replacement for Donyell Malen, provided that Marcus Rashford decides not to swap Man Utd for the German top club.

Although Bakayoko is still linked to several top clubs, including Liverpool as a potential Mohamed Salah replacement, the Belgian winger is having a less successful season.

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The right winger has scored seven goals and provided only three assists in 24 matches to date. The 21-year-old attacker scored against PEC Zwolle last Saturday, but could not prevent a 3-1 defeat.

PSV know that Bakayoko is not in his best form and are therefore considering cooperating with a departure.

Rashford to foil Bakayoko deal?

Given that the 18-time international of Belgium seems to be stagnating, PSV would be willing to let him go this month.

According to Tavolieri, Bakayoko and his agents think the same and they are convinced that it is better for the attacker to take the next step, now that Bakayoko seems to have finished learning in Eindhoven.

Bakayoko and his management want to prevent the attacker from coming to a standstill in his development, which would make a top transfer increasingly unlikely.

Now that Borussia Dortmund have put the winger high on the list after Malen's departure to Aston Villa, Bakayoko is said to be open to joining the struggling giants.

It only depends on the developments surrounding Rashford. Borussia Dortmund would like to strengthen their squad with the Man Utd winger, but it's a difficult procedure. If this deal does not go through, then Bakayoko seems to be a concrete option.

Low asking price

According to Tavolieri, Eindhoven can expect an amount of between €20 million and €25m if Bakayoko leaves in the next two transfer periods. A fairly low amount, considering that the winger was previously expected to yield around €50m-€60m for PSV.

Bakayoko is still on contract in Eindhoven until 2026. The club and player are in consultation about a new deal in order to prevent a potential Bosman departure.

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Liverpool have been heavily linked with the Belgian over the past year due to the uncertainty surrounding Mohamed Salah, who Saudi media claims is increasingly close to a move to Al-Hilal.

However, if a deal with Borussia Dortmund were to materialise, it would see the Reds miss out on another top target after Martin Zubimendi and Omar Marmoush.