Liverpool has been recruiting unexpected players over the last year or two. Even though Wataru Endō was not the first-choice option, the Reds were unlikely to recruit a veteran from the lower Bundesliga, even if they had secured Moisés Caicedo or Roméo Lavia.

Liverpool chose to invest heavily on Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo instead of signing midfield reinforcements as requested by fans last season. With supporters hoping Jürgen Klopp signs a midfielder or center-back before the transfer market shuts on Friday, could Liverpool surprise again?

If Football Insider is right, it may. Liverpool is reportedly one of the Premier League teams interested in signing Johan Bakayoko from PSV Eindhoven. Since signing Gakpo, the Reds had a fruitful partnership with them.

With the race purportedly growing, it may have to. Burnley has already had two proposals rejected for Bakayoko, who may become one of Europe’s most sought-after players in the remaining days of the market. If Liverpool wants him, it must win a race.

As we will see, the 20-year-old is talented, but he may not be what the team needs. Bakayoko plays right wing, replacing Mohamed Salah, who has a youthful successor in Ben Doak.

Liverpool may be watching Al-Ittihad’s pursuit of Salah as a backup plan in case it loses its number 11. He may never have been so vital to the Reds, but nobody is untouchable with such huge quantities of money.

However, comparing Bakayoko to Salah is intriguing. The former seems to be a touchline-hugging winger, a position the Liverpool player tried to play previous season without success. As Trent Alexander-Arnold moves inside as an inverted full-back, offensive width is needed.

Who is the PSV starlet like if not Salah? According to EuroEliteScout, Bakayoko’s statistical profile mirrors that of Neymar in 2015/16, when he played alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez in a front three that may surpass Liverpool’s iconic trio.

Perhaps Total Football Analysis’ conclusion is more relevant. They have compared Bakayoko to Karim Adeyemi and Bukayo Saka, who have been more legitimately associated with the Reds recently. The young Belgian international’s remarkable numbers are rising with the prominent names.

Before we jump to conclusions, it’s important to realize that FBref compares his data to the ‘next eight’ tournaments, the second tier behind the major five leagues, Champions League, and Europa League. That eliminates Neymar comparisons. However, the evidence suggests that a player has outgrown the Eredivisie’s shallow waters.

Bakayoko has 28 metrics in the 90th percentile or above, and nine in the top two percent, including shots on target, progressive carries, and take-on success. Klopp may have noticed that he excels at ‘tackles in the offensive third’.

The PSV winger averaged 1.1 possession regains in the final third per 90 minutes last season, but his rate has climbed to 1.4 in early 2023/24. Even if Salah is unlikely to go, Liverpool would be interested in Bakayoko, a talented dribbler with a high work ethic.