Newcastle United's £37m transfer target who Liverpool want to replace Mo Salah

Newcastle United are gearing themselves up for the January transfer window in what could be a crucial period for the club. After the frustrations of the summer transfer window and the Profit and Sustainability Rules issue which saw unexpected departures and not the type of incomings to satisfy most, there is hope January may prove different.

Few clubs spend significantly in January unless they're in trouble, but there is no doubting an opportunity lies ahead to qualify for the Champions League, while Newcastle could still be in two cup competitions with a potential Carabao Cup semi-final to look forward to. All of which may result in a strengthening of the squad this January.

With that in mind, many names have already been linked and many more will undoubtedly follow in the coming weeks. One of those is familiar, with PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko again linked with a switch to St James' Park. Bakayoko was reportedly on Newcastle's transfer list in the summer, as well as last January and the summer before, so could he actually be a realistic transfer target this time or will he end up at Liverpool, who have been heavily linked in the past?

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Given the player is likely to be mentioned a lot in the coming weeks, we've taken a look at his background to fill in many blanks fans won't know about the forward.

Who is Bakayoko?

Johan Bakayoko was born in Belgium in 2003 and is already an established international footballer, playing for the country of his birth. He actually had the option to select from three nations, having been born to a Rwandan mother and an Ivorian father.

He started his youth career with Belgian side OH Leuven, before moving on to a more familiar and established name of Club Brugge. From there, he was picked up by Antwerp side Mechelen and Anderlecht, before making the move to the Netherlands to join Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.

Bakayoko started in PSV's youth ranks, working his way through the ranks. His form for the club’s U21s with 20 goals and 16 assists in 57 appearances, earned him his shot in the first team and he has not looked back since.

Impressing at PSV

Bakayoko made his senior debut for PSV in a KNVB Cup quarter-final against NAC Breda in February 2022, having been named on the bench in the Eredivisie earlier in the campaign. Since then, he has gone on to become a regular in the first team.

He would make four senior appearances in total during the final months of that season, before going on to make 33 appearances the following campaign, scoring seven goals and adding five assists in the process.

And he would improve further in the 2023/24 season, scoring 14 goals and adding 14 assists across 48 appearances in all competitions, helping PSV to the Eredivisie title in the process. In 11 games so far this season he has scored four goals for PSV.

Belgium international

Bakayoko made his international debut against Sweden in March 2023. He marked the occasion with an assist during a 3-0 win. He has scored one goal for his country in 18 international appearances, against Estonia in a qualifier for Euro 2024 in June 2023.

What is Bakayoko's position?

While he is classed as a forward given he can play a number of positions, he is in essence a winger. Left-footed, he likes to play on the right wing by preference, then cut inside. It's no coincidence Liverpool have looked at Bakayoko as a replacement should Mo Salah leave this summer, with the two players very similar in style to how they play the game.

Much like Salah, he likes to cut inside and shoot on his favoured foot, although he is also capable of whipping in crosses from the right for his fellow teammates. His ability on the ball is perhaps his greatest asset, with Bakayoko’s balance and speed allowing him to dribble and retain possession with ease.