Liverpool could sign Mohammed Kudus or Johan Bakayoko after Anthony Gordon agreed to a move to Barcelona.
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These top players have previously been linked with a Merseyside switch in previous transfer windows.
With the Reds clearly in need of at least two wingers (and, well, an extra versatile forward), perhaps interest could be renewed.
ChatGPT recommends Mohammed Kudus and Johan Bakayoko
Out of morbid curiosity, I wanted to know what players LLM would recommend to replace Gordon this summer.
Truth be told, many of the suggestions were very disappointing:
- Yan Diomande (he’s a first-choice winger, not the type of player Anthony Gordon is looking for as an extra help option)
- Bradley Barcola (see above)
- Johan Bakayoko (who has been linked but has no significant history playing in the top three)
- Bryan Mbeumo (errrr… forgot something, Xoxa?)
- Mohammed Kudus (continue…)
- Nico Williams (like Bakayoko and a stupid long contract)
- Take From (others the experience of playing in the center… emphasized others)
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It is fair to say that we are not left with the most suitable profiles on the market, but I am a fan of Kudus, and I have always been curious about Bakayoko’s potential.
So, let’s take a closer look at what option Arne Slot can offer.
Anthony Gordon’s effective alternatives?
It is perhaps a bit harsh to call Johan Bakayoko a “flop” after one difficult campaign in the Bundesliga.
But instead it tells you that Yan Diomande, who has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool this summer, is favored on the right side.
| Statistics by Yan Diomande | Johan Bakayoko statistics |
| 36 games (2,724 minutes) | 22 games (892 minutes) |
| 13 goals | 3 goals |
| 10 helps | 0 site |
| 118.43 minutes per goal contribution | 297.33 minutes per goal contribution |
| 0.26 non-penalty xG (per 90) | 0.24 non-penalty xG (per 90) |
| 1.93 for 90 shots each | 2.79 for 90 shots |
| 7.09 is touched in the objection box | 4.89 touches in the opposition box per 90 |
* Yan Diomande and Johan Bakayoko’s Bundesliga stats for the 2025/26 season (Transfermarkt/Fotmob)
To be completely fair to Bakayoko, he has had injury issues this term to contend with. And while there are some encouraging figures to suggest the Belgian could work for regular minutes in the right set-up, there is enough evidence to suggest Liverpool would be well-placed to favor his Ivory Coast counterpart as first-choice target.
And with only two appearances in midfield, I’m not sure the 23-year-old is better than Barcelona-bound Anthony Gordon.
So what about Kudus?
It would be somewhat unfair to judge Kudus completely after his season spent with Tottenham’s lackluster, nonsensical 2025/26.
However, the 25-year-old has been able to post some encouraging numbers – even as his output numbers have dipped.
| Mohammed Kudus figures |
| 26 games (1,921 minutes) |
| 3 goals |
| 6 helps |
| 213.44 minutes |
| 0.11 non-penalty xG (per 90) |
| 1.51 90 shots |
| 3.32 touches in the opposition box |
* Mohammed Kudus’ Premier League stats (2025/26) (Fotmob/Transfermarkt)
The great thing about Kudus, of course, is that he played 51 top players in the central role.
That, surely, should lend some appeal to the idea of signing a player this summer. Whether Spurs will be ready to do a deal, having already signed the 25-year-old last summer, remains to be seen.
But I would be more inclined to push Mohammed Kudus over Johan Bakayoko, the money goes.
