Can leave as early as winter: Klopp favourite at RB Leipzig apparently on his way out for good

The time of a highly rated attacking player whose transfer was once strongly pushed by Jürgen Klopp appears set to be over at RB Leipzig soon.

As Bild reports, Leipzig are not opposed to Johan Bakayoko leaving as early as the winter and would not stand in the Belgian's way. The newspaper did not name any potential buyers.

The winger faces an uphill battle under coach Martin Demichelis, with competition for places on the wings fierce. Bakayoko cannot get ahead of U21 international Brajan Gruda, Tidiam Gomis or Andrija Maksimovic at present. His most recent competitive appearance for Leipzig came in early September, in the 3-1 defeat to Werder Bremen. Across all competitions this season, the 23-year-old has made just three appearances and played 144 minutes, without a goal or an assist.

Why has Johan Bakayoko been left out of RB Leipzig's squad several times?

Since the Bremen match, Bakayoko has alternated between the substitutes' bench and the stands. He also missed out on the squad for the 6-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt a few weeks ago. Demichelis cited disciplinary reasons but gave no further details. "He made a small mistake. But that stays between us. We spoke to each other and he trained as normal on Sunday. I've already forgotten what he did. The matter is settled," the Argentinian explained. According to Bild, Bakayoko has arrived late for mandatory appointments in Leipzig several times. That has raised concerns within the club about his focus.

Bakayoko joined Leipzig from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2025 for €18 million. Jürgen Klopp, who was still working as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull at the time, is said to have pushed for the Belgian's signing. On the pitch, though, Bakayoko has so far failed entirely to live up to expectations.

In his first season at RB, Bakayoko scored only three goals in 22 competitive appearances for Leipzig. He remains under contract with RB until 2030.