Brentford appear to have failed in their quest to sign Johan Bakayoko, which could yet open the door for a Liverpool move in future.
Fabrizio Romano shared the update in question on X on Friday morning, with the player having communicated to the Bees that he won’t be moving to the Premier League this summer.
Johan Bakayoko has communicated to Brentford that he’s NOT joining them. Final decision confirmed. ????
Despite deal almost agreed between clubs, Bakayoko decides to stay at PSV in order to play Champions League football.
Brentford remain keen on signing him in January. pic.twitter.com/3NRFTDZsL9
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2023
Described as a ‘wonderful talent’ by scout Jacek Kulig on X, the Belgian has enjoyed a strong start to the campaign with four assists in seven appearances – following on from an impressive showing the prior term in which the forward amassed 15 goal contributions in 39 appearances (a goal or assist every 165 minutes).
Johan Bakayoko – 6 goals and 3 assists in his last 5 games for Jong PSV.
Wonderful talent, fantastic left foot.
Madueke-esque.
Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/CFY11gw1Np
— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) January 15, 2022
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The priority for Jurgen Klopp’s men in the current window has, of course, always been clear: rebuild the midfield department and secure left-sided centre-half to reinforce the backline.
Once Ryan Gravenberch is officially announced as Liverpool’s fourth summer signing – following on from Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo – the former of the two objectives will have most certainly been achieved.
Amid ongoing questions over Mo Salah’s future at Anfield, with the player’s contract notably set to expire in two years’ time, it’s entirely likely that discussions have begun behind the scenes with regard to how the club could future-proof the right-wing should the Egyptian depart in 2024.
Even should Liverpool resist the temptation of a mega-fee from Saudi Arabia, it would be far from unreasonable to expect a similar attempt in the following summer window, which would leave the club in need of a replacement.
Assuming that Bakayoko’s position when it comes to Brentford’s interest is maintained beyond the January window, this could be an option the Merseysiders explore down the line.