Neil Jones has explained why it’d make ‘more sense’ for Liverpool to pursue a winger from the EFL Championship than one currently playing in the Champions League.
Two of the names who’ve cropped up in the Anfield rumour mill during the January transfer window in terms of potential attacking addition are Crysencio Summerville of Leeds (Football Transfers) and Johan Bakayoko of PSV Eindhoven (Rudy Galetti).
Speaking to Empire of the Kop Insider, the journalist suggested that, if faced with a straight choice between the two, the Reds may be better off going for the Elland Road youngster rather than his Netherlands-based counterpart.
Jones outlined: “I think Crysencio Summerville makes more sense, at the moment, than Johan Bakayoko in the sense that Liverpool wouldn’t sign a player who has great expectations of going straight into the side.
“Unless they sign Kylian Mbappe, they’re not signing someone who goes right into the Liverpool team and starts every game!
“It would be harder to imagine Bakayoko accepting that role given the club he’s been playing for and the level he’s been playing at. Summerville, coming from the Championship, would have a decent idea that he’s going to have to be patient.”
Summerville has struck 12 goals and set up another six in 24 games for Leeds so far this season, netting five times in his last eight appearances for Daniel Farke’s side (Transfermarkt).
Meanwhile, Bakayoko has 17 goal contributions in 27 outings for PSV during the current campaign, although 13 of those are assists (Transfermarkt).
While naturally those numbers are tempered by the respective levels at which those players are operating, it’ still evident that the former carries a greater goal threat.
Also, as Jones validly pointed out, Summerville may be more accepting of a backup role at Liverpool than Bakayoko, who’s helped PSV to reach the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
Furthermore, Jurgen Klopp will be acutely aware of how deadly the Leeds attacker can be, having scored the Whites’ late winner in their shock triumph at Anfield last season.
The 22-year-old may therefore have the edge on his Belgian counterpart in the Reds’ shopping list, although the abundance of riches in our forward line may see other positions targeted with higher priority during this month’s transfer window, and possibly the summer too.