Jean-Matteo Bahoya
Jean-Matteo Bahoya has starred for France’s Under-21 side in this month’s international break, but the winger has found game time hard to come by since moving to Leeds United in the summer. The 21-year-old has played just one minute of Premier League football since arriving at Elland Road on an initial loan deal with an obligation, despite arriving fit to start and full of promise.
Jean-Matteo Bahoya: Leeds United Winger Shines For France As Obligation Clause Revealed
Bahoya’s Obligation Clause Revealed
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According to German newspaper BILD, Bahoya must make ten competitive appearances for Leeds for the obligation to buy him to be triggered. The transfer fee would reportedly be £26 million, with a 15% sell-on clause inserted by former club Eintracht Frankfurt.
With the winger so far making one 90-second appearance against Crystal Palace, it is not currently clear whether Whites boss Daniel Farke rates Bahoya highly enough to let him reach the ten appearance mark.
What Has Farke Said About Bahoya?
When asked about the 21-year-old in his pre-match press conference ahead of Leeds vs Newcastle on September 14, the German said: “He is very young and we have to prepare him physically for Premier League level.
“He has unbelievable skill and pace. He can hurt teams but we have to make sure his all-round game is prepared for the top level.”
Farke added: “He is a top guy and is working very hard in training. Football is different in Germany and France – here it is more physical and intense.”
Jean-Matteo Bahoya Stars for France in Euro U21 Qualification
Although initially named on the bench for Tuesday’s clash with Estonia U21, an injury to Ethan Mbappe saw Bahoya come on in the 12th minute. The Leeds man made the most of his opportunity, playing a key role as Les Bleus won 2-0 and scoring his side’s second goal in the 68th minute.
The youngster had also started the previous game against Iceland, showing that manager Gerald Baticle has clear faith in his ability. To feature so heavily in a side containing the likes of Mathys Tel, Senny Mayulu and Eli Junior Kroupi shows that the Whites have a serious talent on their hands.
The French media were certainly impressed, with football.fr saying that Bahoya ‘shone’ and Sport 365 calling him ‘very lively’ throughout the game.
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Whilst Bahoya’s lack of game time may remind some Leeds fans of Harvey Elliott’s disastrous spell at Aston Villa, where he hardly featured to prevent a buy obligation from being triggered, we have no evidence so far that the Frenchman is in a similar situation.
With Farke stressing that the 21-year-old needs to be physically ‘prepared’ for the Premier League, and that he is ‘working very hard’, he appears to be in the German’s plans. Considering that Leeds also invested heavily in bringing fellow winger Harry Wilson to Elland Road, only for him to hardly play, it must be a tactical decision.
Farke’s preferred 5-3-2 setup with attacking wing-backs leaves little space for wingers, and Bahoya’s short cameo against Palace actually came at right wing-back as United played out a dour 0-0 draw.
However, with 33 league games to go, along with FA Cup action, there is plenty of opportunity for the France youth international to show what he can do, particularly as injuries and the busy Christmas schedule come into play.
Featured image courtesy of Imago/Pro Sports Images