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Newcastle United have been linked with a big move for PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko in January.
Bakayoko has emerged as a potential target for the Magpies who will enter the winter window hoping to improve on two very underwhelming transfer windows in 2024. January will also mark Paul Mitchell’s first full window as the club’s sporting director.
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Whilst warnings over how much money they have to spend have already been spread, player sales could allow them to strengthen Howe’s squad with Bakayoko one of those most hotly-linked with a move to St James’ Park. Here, we take a look at everything fans need to know about Bakayoko and what Howe has said on a potential move for him:
Who is Johan Bakayoko?
Bakayoko is a Belgian international who has spent the whole of his senior career at Eredivisie outfit PSV Eindhoven. He joined PSV from Anderlecht in his native Belgium in 2019, aged 16.
A return of 57 goals and 40 assists during his time at the Dutch club, including 28 goal contributions in all competitions last season, has seen Bakayoko emerge as one of the Eredivisie’s top talents. Playing predominantly as a right-winger, it’s clear why Newcastle United may be interested in his services and at just 21 years of age, he’s someone who has plenty of time to develop into a top-class winger.
What’s the latest on Newcastle United’s reported interest?
Reports of an interest in Bakayoko have been doing the rounds for a while now, although speculation intensified last week when Belgian outlet Voetbal Krant claimed that ‘very positive’ talks between Bakayoko’s representatives and Newcastle United had taken place. PSV reportedly value the winger at £40m, whilst Newcastle will reportedly submit a £25m bid.
A move in January is possible, however, as already noted, finances are expected to again be tight on Tyneside and that any arrival will have to follow a player sale in order to free up wiggle room in their budget. A move for Bakayoko in summer is not off the cards and will likely be an easier deal to complete then with less time pressure than the month-long January window forced onto clubs.
PSV Eindhoven winger Johan BakayokoPSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko
PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko | Getty Images
What has Eddie Howe said about a potential move for Bakayoko?
Howe, who is usually very coy on discussing any transfer move no matter how advanced, was asked about those reports from Belgium surrounding a move for Bakayoko: “[The report] does surprise me because that's not the reality,” replied Howe. “We're not close to sealing any transfer.
“We always have targets, we always have things bubbling along in the background. The recruitment team will be doing a lot of work of course in preparation for potential opportunities that arise. But at the moment that's not the main body of our work.”
Howe also confirmed that the club had held talks over their plans for the January transfer window, although he described those as ‘loose discussions’. He said: “It's been very, very loose [transfer] discussions this week but there hasn't been many discussions in great depth on January because we've got a lot of games and our focus is on the matches and we're restricted to what we can and can't do.
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