Arsenal have held talks with PSV winger Johan Bakayoko as they line up a potential summer transfer for the €55-60m-rated Belgium international.
Sources with a close understanding of Bakayoko’s situation have informed CaughtOffside that the Gunners are keen to sign the 21-year-old, while Liverpool and Chelsea are also considering him, though their interest may hinge on player departures.
Arsenal’s interest seems to be the most advanced for the moment, as Mikel Arteta is driving their interest in Bakayoko, while Chelsea could get involved if they sell Raheem Sterling this summer, with the England international still attracting interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
Liverpool, meanwhile, also like Bakayoko but aren’t in urgent need of new signings in that position, with a move likely to depend on whether or not the Reds manage to keep Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz.
Chelsea and Liverpool are yet to hold talks with Bakayoko, while there is also interest from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, though they also haven’t held talks just yet.
Bakayoko transfer: Where next for the PSV winger?
CaughtOffside understands that Bakayoko is open to leaving PSV this summer, but he will prioritise regular playing time at his next club, so it remains to be seen where he’ll feel he has the best chance of achieving that.
It is understood that Arsenal mainly want Bakayoko to rotate with Bukayo Saka, affording the England international more rest after playing so much football in the last few years, but that might not be enough of a key role to convince Bakayoko.
Meanwhile, this deal clearly won’t come cheap as PSV are set to ask for as much as €55-60m for their exciting young attacker, whose value will surely only continue to go up in years to come.
Arsenal also can’t be ruled out of the race to sign Nico Williams out wide, according to Ben Jacobs in his column yesterday.
When you want to hear funny stories about Arsenal, transfer season is the time . Arsenal has been linked with more than 30 players already , and none is concrete..All we hear is that Arsenal eye this , Arsenal considering this, Arsenal is interested in this , and so on and so forth .I dont believe in any of these stories one bit. But one thing is certain , Arsenal must sign at least four quality players, while offloading some deadwoods if we want to have any chance of catching Man City next season..
Does he have good stats, as everyone seems to ignore players stats. For example.
Over the last 3 games Folden has had the worst STATs, yet you are all blind to it.
Saka is a natural goal contributer, with 66% goal contribution to games played so far in this competition. His goal contribution percentage is so far higher than any other England player. Overall he is England’s second highest goal scorer too. He should have had a goal yesterday, if it wasn’t for poor positioning by Foden causing Saka’s goal to be disallowed, and yet you all blame Saka instead of Foden for the draw. Blind leading the blind comes to mind.
Foden STATs on the other hand shows he has lost the ball more than any other England player and has been a poor performer with a consistent rating of a poor 6 or less in each of England’s games since the start of this competition.
Yet it is the media and pundits like Neville who thinks Saka (our highest goal contributers and second highest scorer) that should be dropped over our worst consistent poor performance rated Foden.
It’s like the blind leading the blind and as long as Southgate continues with his stubborn selection of Foden and wrongfully decides to drop Saka, then England will be doomed to failure from the first knockout stage.
The Stats don’t lie and all are blind to ignore the obvious jinks in the team being Foden, and being a major cause to England’s bad form ever since the inclusion of Foden and the stats being ignored.
Even the opposition will tell you they have to double mark Saka with two defenders more than any other England player because they see him as England’s greatest attacking threat.
The other opposition countries will be laughing if we drop Saka and keep Foden considering the STATs being Saka has the best goal contribution to Fodens STATs making him the worst England player!