Looking towards 2025 and potential reinforcements, Liverpool now reportedly want to use Arne Slot‘s Dutch connections to hijack a £50m+ signing who could replace Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool transfer news
Although things are going smoothly on the pitch, there’s still every chance that Liverpool have their season overshadowed by three major exits. As things stand, Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all set to depart as free agents at the end of the current campaign in what would be the Reds’ worst nightmares. And whilst reports have been more positive surrounding Van Dijk and Salah’s Anfield futures, it remains a guessing game on the Alexander-Arnold front.
On all three cases, the Reds must prepare for the worst, which has seen the likes of Jeremie Frimpong already linked with a move to Anfield and now a winger who could replace Salah.
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool now want to use Slot’s Dutch connection in a hijack to sign Johan Bakayoko ahead of Newcastle United in 2025. The current Liverpool boss would have had the chance to take a closer look at the young PSV Eindhoven winger just last season, of course, when he was in charge of Feyenoord.
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He’s been tipped to have a “really good career at the highest level”.
Now, Slot could revisit the Eredivisie and bring back a potential replacement for Salah. Valued at a reported €60m (£52m), the deal for Bakayoko certainly won’t come cheap, but Liverpool have splashed the cash in the past and could yet do so once more when 2025 arrives – beating Newcastle, Bayern Munich and others to the PSV star’s signature as a result.
“Fantastic” Bakayoko is one to watch
Replacing Salah will be mission impossible for whoever is handed the task and whenever that will be, but Bakayoko is certainly an interesting candidate. Still just 21 years old, the Belgian has already scored six goals and assisted a further three in all competitions for PSV in what follows last season’s stunning total of 14 goals and 14 assists by the end of the campaign.
The potential is certainly there for all to see, including Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, who described Bakayoko’s run of form last season as “fantastic” and dubbed the Belgian “the best winger in the Netherlands”.
At a reported £52m though, it’s likely that the Reds wait until the summer and on Salah’s contract situation to potentially make their move and use Slot’s Dutch connection to sign Bakayoko.