Liverpool are preparing for a new era under new boss Arne Slot ahead of the next Premier League season
Liverpool are reportedly interested in PSV winger Johan Bakayoko ahead of the upcoming transfer window, according to a report by Het Belang van Limburg.
Fellow Premier League side Arsenal have also been mentioned as a potential suitor along with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
Bakayoko, 21, was wanted by Brentford last summer but the Bees weren’t able to get a deal over the line in the end. As per the The Standard, he ‘rejected’ the chance to join Thomas Frank’s side and opted to stay put in the Eredivisie.
The door could now swing open for the player to move to England 12 months on from his decision not to move to the Gtech Community Stadium.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, he said: “In the next five years, I want to be close to winning the Ballon d’Or. I’ll do my best and see where it can end, but I don’t want to give myself limits. I don’t want to say, ‘I remember when I won the Ballon d’Or’, or something like this. I want to keep going.”
“I don’t care (who I come up against). I don’t think: ‘This guy is better than such and such’. Instead, it’s: ‘I’ve received the ball — he needs to take the ball off me’. If I get the ball I can go left, right… but he needs to adapt to me as I don’t want to adapt to anyone.
“I’m really happy and lucky I have a trainer who gives me the freedom to do what I want because I really don’t (like tracking back). It stops you from (trying to attack).”
On his future, he said: “I see myself playing everywhere, anywhere. I follow the Premier League — I have friends there. I also have friends that play in Germany, so I watch a lot of games when they play. But this season I haven’t even talked about leaving.
“I was just thinking about preparing for the Euros, just trying my best to be fit.”
Bakayoko had spells in the academies at OH Leuven, Club Brugge, Mechelen and Anderlecht before finally settling with PSV in 2019.
He initially became a key player for Jong PSV, their reserve side, as a teenager before breaking into the first-team picture.
The Belgium international, who has 10 caps under his belt so far in his career, has since become one of the main players at the Philips Stadion.
He has made 85 appearances for PSV in all competitions to date and has chipped in with 21 goals and 19 assists.
Bakayoko is under contract until June 2026 meaning his current club are under no pressure to cash in on him just yet unless an offer that they can’t refuse comes in for his signature.
New Liverpool boss Arne Slot will know all about him from coming up against him with Feyenoord last year.
He could see him as someone to add more competition and depth to his attacking department as he looks to put his own stamp on the Reds.
