The Belgium national football team has produced some of the top youngsters over the years. These players establish themselves at the club level. Some Belgian national players are even playing for the top clubs in the world. One such player who has been in the limelight is PSV’s flying winger, Johan Bakayoko.
After making it to the first team in 2022, Bakayoko has gained a lot of attention from top European clubs. The likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are behind the 20-year-old forward. Johan Bakayoko is creating and scoring goals for the Dutch club. Let’s take a look at what this youngster is in high demand and what he can add to the team.
Versatile attacker
Johan Bakayoko is a very versatile attacker. He plays behind the striker and his preferred position is on the right flank. The likes of Liverpool are looking for a replacement for Mohamed Salah and Bakayoko is looking like the perfect replacement for the Egyptian forward.
One of the reasons why this youngster is gaining the attention of big clubs is because of his desire to run at the opposition defenders. Bakayoko averages 5.03 progressive runs per 90 minutes, with most of his runs directed to penetrate the opposition penalty box. The youngster likes to take on defenders and attempts around 9.8 dribbles per 90 minutes. He completes 60% of his dribbles on the field.
Playing such a high attacking line has allowed Johan Bakayoko to make recoveries in attacking zones. The 20-year-old has made 33 regains in the final third and 13 have turned out to be dangerous recoveries. This high recovery rate is appreciated by top clubs.
Creative side
Johan Bakayoko is a player who takes on a defender on the edge of the penalty box. By looking at the winger’s actions we can observe that Bakayoko has stretched the opposition’s defence and likes to deliver crosses into the box.
The Belgian averages nearly 39 passes per 90 minutes and has an 83.3% accuracy rate. These include nearly 4.6 passes to the opposition penalty box and 60% of these passes have been delivered. Bakayoko attempts 4.06 crosses per 90 minutes and most of his crosses have landed around the six-yard box. Overall, the 20-year-old has managed 11 assists this season.
This visual contrasts a player’s dribbling ability against their knack for receiving the ball in positions where they’re expected to progress the ball towards a goal (pctxgrecv). Players in the top right quadrant are both adept dribblers and influential in ball progression. Bakayoko is a great dribbler but has struggled a bit in cratng an impact.
In addition to his 11 assists, Bakayoko has also added five goals to his name. The Belgian averages 3.37 shots per 90 minutes and 29% of these shots have been on target. Johan is a proper right winger and he likes to cut inside to attempt a shot. Most of his shots target the near post.
Johan Bakayoko will look to create and score more goals. It will be difficult for PSV to keep hold of thee youngster, but will look to maximise the profit.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
