- 13 hours ago
Liverpool face new ‘THREAT’ in hunt for Salah replacement
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 21 Feb 2025 11:30 GMT
- 4 min read
Liverpool have been told to act fast if they want to secure PSV star Johan Bakayoko as Mohamed Salah’s replacement at Anfield.
Salah’s contract is up in the summer and there remains huge uncertainty over the future of the Egypt international, who has been offered a huge contract from the Saudi Pro League.
READ MORE: Liverpool target star following in Van Dijk’s footsteps: ‘AGREEMENT’ made
STATS
Johan Bakayoko
F, M (R)
PSV
Johan Bakayoko
F, M (R)
PSV
With the Reds’ star man at best 50-50 over remaining at the club, Liverpool are assessing other options they could move for should the Premier League’s leading marksman depart.
They have been told they face a battle if they are to land Bakayoko, who they have tracked for several seasons now. Dortmund and Newcastle United are both tracking the PSV star, Christian Falk has confirmed.
“Dortmund will face competition from Newcastle for Johan Bakayoko,” he wrote for Caught Offside.
“The BVB bosses have focused on Bakayoko several times in the past. Since the sale of Donyell Malen, they have been looking for a replacement in this position.
“There is also the threat of Jamie Gittens and Karim Adeyemi being sold in the summer - which would also provide fresh money.”
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Why have Liverpool stalled on Bakayoko?
Bakayoko, who came off the bench to help PSV to a Champions League win over Juventus on Wednesday, has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €39.1 million but the 21-year-old has touched as high as €71m earlier in his career. This makes him the Eredvisie’s second most valuable player behind Jorrel Hato, who Liverpool have also been linked with a move for.
The Reds are thought to be stalling on their interest in Bakayoko, with Newcastle and Dortmund leading the race.
Liverpool’s stance might be the best advised one, with data analytics firm SciSports suggesting Anfield is not among the best destinations for Bakayoko to progress his career.
The Reds get a Club Fit score of 70, which is based on a string of factors ranging from playing time and potential development to formation and style. While Bakayoko would have the chance to reach the best version of himself with Liverpool, his playing time would likely be minimal while the style employed by Slot is unlikely to get the best from him.
Interestingly, Liverpool score the same as Newcastle but Dortmund are seen as a far better destination, with a Club Fit score of 77 based on excellent playing opportunities and a strong fit in terms of style and formation.
Slot’s reticence to make a big early move for Bakayoko is, therefore, understandable particularly as Salah may yet decide to stay put.
