If Jadon Sancho represented Manchester United’s past, then the man he shared a pitch with during the midweek Champions League meeting between Borussia Dortmund and PSV Eindhoven may just be Old Trafford’s future.
According to reports back in December, Manchester United are keeping tabs on PSV’s Johan Bakayoko with a new right-winger expected to be one of the Red Devils’ top targets during their first window under Ineos control (Sport1).
But, as Sancho drifted through the game without ever threatening to get out of first gear, his potential replacement at Man United did not exactly fare much better. The main problem with Sancho’s display is that he never looked like scoring. You cannot say the same of Bakayoko. The issue the former had, however, is that the chances he did get were squandered, pretty badly too.
Johan Bakayoko fails to justify Manchester United links
The £40 million-rated winger has faced question marks over his end product in recent weeks And this display would have done little to quell those concerns.
Bakayoko stabbed tentatively at an early opening, the ball spinning wide from a more-than presentable position. On another occasion, he miscontrolled a long diagonal on the break. Thus, allowing Dortmund’s defence to get back in position and cover.
Bakayoko’s evening was then summed up late on. Breezing past his full-back before skewing the most tame of finishes into the grateful arms of BVB’s stand-in goalkeeper Alexander Meyer.
“Johan Bakayoko has also been struggling with a minor form crisis in recent weeks,” Voetbal Primeur wrote following a frustrating 1-1 draw marred by wastefulness from both sides, Bakayoko awared a match rating of just 5/10.
“The lack of efficiency from the wings broke PSV against Dortmund.”
United need to upgrade on Antony and Jadon Sancho
Earnest Stewart, PSV’s technical director, has already confirmed that he expects Bakayoko to leave in the summer. The Belgium international has been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, and gave Arsenal no end of problems in the Champions League group-stages.
But with just one goal and no assists in his last 10 games, a Manchester United side who already have one eternally-frustrating left-footed right-winger in the much-maligned Antony will have seen very little from Bakayoko against Dortmund to suggest his arrival would represent much of an upgrade.
It’s not as if the market is short of alternatives either. Michael Olise and Pedro Neto have already been mentioned. Both can also offer a proven track record in English football after some scintillating displays for Crystal Palace and Wolves.
“Bakayoko is a typical Arjen Robben (style winger). Left footed, cuts inside and then delivers a devastating blow,” former Belgium forward Marc Degryse tells Het Laaste Niuews, while insisting that disappointing Dortmund display is proof of how much work the 20-year-old still has to do.
“He has the same mentality as (Romelu) Lukaku. Determined and confident,
“But Bakayoko must be careful that his self-confidence does not become arrogance. It’s on the edge today.”
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