Leipzig still count on Johan Bakayoko despite rocky first season

RB Leipzig are sticking with Johan Bakayoko even though his debut season in Saxony did not go as planned, according to Kicker.

The club still sees the Belgian winger as a key piece and expects a big step forward next year.

Bakayoko, 23, arrived from PSV Eindhoven in summer 2025 for €18 million and was supposed to help immediately. He showed flashes early, scoring the winner in away wins at Mainz and Wolfsburg on matchdays three and five, and he impressed in the DFB-Pokal against Energie Cottbus.

But his rhythm faded as the season wore on, and muscle problems slowed him further at the end of 2025. The rise of 19-year-old Yan Diomande on the right wing became a major factor, pushing Bakayoko out of the starting XI.

Bakayoko played 22 of Leipzig’s 38 official matches but started just nine.

Internally, Leipzig remain convinced by the left-footed attacker’s quality. There are no current plans to sell him; instead, he will get a second chance to establish himself as a permanent figure.

His one-on-one dynamism and cutting inside from the right remain standout strengths, and the club plans to use both Bakayoko and Diomande flexibly on the flanks.