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Liverpool could $65m sign Mohamed Salah heir ‘like Neymar’ as wildcard ‘top target’ emerges

There is a precedent for Liverpool doing things in the transfer market that you don’t necessarily anticipate. When the Reds were unable to complete a deal for Moisés Caicedo or Roméo Lavia, for instance, not many would have thought 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.

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Now, Sky Germany’s Patrick Berger reports on X/Twitter that Bakayoko is a ‘top target’ for Liverpool, among other big clubs, heading into the summer. Set to cost around $54m (£43m/€50m) to $65m (£51m/€60m), Manchester City, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and PSG are also said to be keen on the winger.

In January, the suggestion was that Liverpool may have to accelerate a move, with quite the race supposedly developing. In fact, rather than Gakpo, it might have had to have been a Luis Díaz repeat, with Tottenham ‘looking for a new winger’ and with Bakayoko emerging as one of the targets. He didn’t move anywhere then, but surely will in the summer.

But while there is no question regarding Bakayoko’s talent, as we shall see, there is 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 example, has been a revelation — but this transfer would be especially out of left-field.

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Figuratively, that is. Bakayoko 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. But the rumors are not going anywhere. Last month, Voetbalkrant reported that Liverpool could return for Bakayoko in the summer, with Manchester City also having shortlisted him.

And 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 Salah into his 30s, it may be that Liverpool is keeping a talented target on its radar as a long term option to succeed the Egyptian. Salah 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 amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

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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.

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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.

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