What PSV scorer Johan Bakayoko has said on his future as Liverpool message sent
When Johan Bakayoko netted against Liverpool to send an emphatic message on Wednesday night, plenty of fans will have recognized the name.
The PSV Eindhoven star netted his side’s second goal in the Champions League game against Liverpool, when he latched onto the ball at the end of the box and shaped to shoot, sending Jarell Quansah and Andy Robertson flying to the deck. But the forward then coolly cut inside, embarrassing the Liverpool duo, and then fired the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher in the away goal.
It was an eyebrow-raising moment, but one Liverpool fans could have become used to had things panned out differently last summer. The 21-year-old was strongly linked with a move to the Reds when Arne Slot moved from the Netherlands ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
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Given his in-depth knowledge of the Eredivisie, reports in Slot’s homeland claimed he considered bringing Bakayoko with him to Anfield for a fee of around $54m (£43m/€50m). It’s something the PSV star didn’t exactly distance himself from those rumours.
"If I were to leave Eindhoven, it would only be to a club that plays for the prizes just like PSV," Bakayoko told Eindhoven's Dagblad over the summer. Becoming a champion is what I want. And win the Champions League. I have the qualities for that. I'm ready for the top. But PSV is also a top club, especially if many players from last season stay. And it's nice here.”
Bakayoko has also been linked with a move to Newcastle United and Arsenal this month and it seems his future may lie away from PSV in the not-too-distant future. The attacker has continued his progression this season and scored eight goals, including two in the Champions League.
The Belgian has earned 18 caps - an impressive tally at just 21 - and played a starring role for PSV last season as it claimed the Dutch title.
His goal on Wednesday helped PSV secure a spot in the knockout stages of the Champions League. As for Liverpool, it knew a top-two spot was guaranteed heading into the game, which resulted in nine changes from Slot. Only Andy Robertson and Cody Gakpo retained their places in the team from last weekend’s win over Ipswich Town.
