Fabrizio Romano has addressed ongoing transfer rumours regarding one prospective Liverpool target.
On Monday, Sky Sports Germany reporter Patrick Berger tweeted that the Reds are among five clubs ‘monitoring’ Johan Bakayoko, whose price tag is set at €50m-€60m (£42.7m-£51.3m) by PSV Eindhoven.
In his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside on Wednesday morning, the Italian claimed that no major inroads have been made regarding a move for the winger, who’s due to review his options once the season ends.
Romano wrote: “I’m aware there have been some stories about Liverpool targeting talented young PSV winger Johan Bakayoko, but there is nothing concrete happening yet, nothing serious, with the Belgium international 100% focused on PSV.
“Still, it’s true that many clubs have been monitoring Bakayoko since last summer. Scouts from English top clubs are always travelling to follow him, but it’s nothing more concrete than that for now, and at the end of the season we will likely see Bakayoko assessing his options.”
Bakayoko has been enjoying a fine season with PSV, chipping in with eight goals and 13 assists in 40 games (Transfermarkt) and helping them to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League.
His Belgium teammate Romelu Lukaku gushed that the 21-year-old is ‘on track to become a top-tier player’ whose ‘potential knows no bounds’, and the youngster’s statistics depict him as a hugely exciting winger who routinely gets fans off their seats.
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As per FBref, he ranks among the top 3% of positional peers in Europe for successful take-ons (3.53) and progressive carries (7.73) per 90 minutes, showing a real aptitude for running at opposition defences.
Romano also stressed in the same piece that a summer transfer strategy won’t become clear until Liverpool appoint a managerial successor to Jurgen Klopp, although that process should accelerate now that Richard Hughes is on the brink of being finalised as the club’s new sporting director.
If the identity of the next manager is confirmed in the near future and they share Lukaku’s enthusiasm for Bakayoko, that could well see the Reds step up their efforts to try and lure the highly coveted Belgian to Anfield.