Bayer Leverkusen are interested in signing Johan Bakayoko with the club prepared to rival Premier League sides for the PSV Eindhoven winger.
Bakayoko is a transfer target for several English clubs with Nottingham Forest reportedly considering the 22-year-old as a replacement for Anthony Elanga, who is nearing a move to Newcastle United.
So much skill in this goal 😳#UCL pic.twitter.com/X5ZoZl9BMu
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 25, 2025
Everton and Bournemouth have also been credited with interest in Bakayoko, who is valued at around £30m. He has just 12 months to run on his contract with the Dutch champions.
However, Premier League teams face competition from Bayer Leverkusen with Erik ten Hag determined to bring in a new winger.
Leverkusen are looking to reinvest the funds recouped from the sales of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool, with Bakayoko a concrete target.
German outlet BILD are reporting that Leverkusen are pushing to sign Bakayoko, with a move for Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho viewed as unlikely.
Ten Hag had been linked with reuniting with the unsettled Argentine but a transfer is considered expensive. Manchester United have placed a valuation of around £50m on the 21-year-old.
Bakayoko is considered a more cost-effective alternative. The Belgium international enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023/24, when he scored 12 times and provided nine assists in PSV’s title success. Those performances earned the winger the Eredivisie Talent of the Year award.
He endured a downturn in form last season despite a second title success, though still registered nine league goals in just 17 league starts.
Read – Chelsea’s ‘Evil Saka’ and the funniest nicknames in football history
See more – Five Premier League players who need a loan move this season
