Tottenham Hotspur will face Brentford for the capture of PSV ace Johan Bakayoko, according to reports, Ange Postecoglou also has two other strikers on his radar.
Bakayoko is a Belgian right winger who spent time in the academies of Club Brugge and Anderlecht before joining PSV’s youth team in 2019. He rose through the ranks of PSV’s youth groups before making his first-team debut in February 2022.
However, it wasn’t until last season that Bakayoko really started to have an effect on PSV. In the 2022-23 campaign, he scored seven goals and five assists in 33 appearances as his influence on the team gradually grew.
And the 20-year-old is now an integral part of the Dutch team. He has already surpassed his overall assist from last season, scoring 4 goals and 12 assists in 23 games so far this season.
The left-hander excels in one-on-one situations and likes to play in quick transitions. His characteristics make him the best candidate for the Premier League and it will probably not take long for him to develop in England.
Tottenham, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Brentford were all linked with moves for him over the summer. At one point it looked like Brentford were leading the race, but Bakayoko ended up staying in the Eredivisie.
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However, speculation is once again ramping up ahead of the winter window opening. Last week, Spurs and Brentford were both named as potential suitors for Bakayoko, and there has now been an update on the situation.
Football Insider state that Spurs and Brentford will go ‘head-to-head’ for Bakayoko’s signature in January. Brentford are ‘long-term admirers’ of the nine-cap international, though Spurs will push them all the way.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has been forced to draw up a list of potential attacking reinforcements following injuries to the likes of Richarlison, James Maddison and Manor Solomon.
Bakayoko tops this list. But if the north London side are beaten to capture via Brentford, then Spurs will have to chase one of their chosen targets as a winger.
Postecoglou has been thinking about making a move for Portuguese player Jota, with whom he worked at Celtic. Jota signed for Al Ittihad in the summer but has since been left out of the championship squad, forcing him to return to Europe.
Juventus’ Samuel Iling-Junior is another player Spurs like the look of. And according to the latest reports emerging from Italy, Spurs could be helped by a discount if they swoop in for Iling-Junior this winter.
Meanwhile, a journalist has explained how one Arsenal and Chelsea target was ‘desperate’ to join Spurs earlier in his career.