According to Sport Bild, Leipzig no longer see a sporting future for the 23-year-old winger and are prepared to allow him to depart. The decision is understood to be based primarily on performances and competition for places rather than one isolated incident.
Bakayoko joined RB Leipzig from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2025 for a reported €18 million fee. The move was strongly backed by Jürgen Klopp, who was then Red Bull’s head of global soccer and is said to have spent two hours persuading the Belgian to join the project.
The winger has struggled to establish himself since arriving in Germany. He has made 25 appearances for Leipzig and scored three goals, while his opportunities have become increasingly limited this season.
His last appearance came in early September, when he played 63 minutes in the 3-1 defeat by Werder Bremen. Since then, he has been left out of the starting side and has alternated between the substitutes’ bench and the stands.
Leipzig’s competition on the right flank has moved ahead of him in the pecking order. Brajan Gruda, Tidiam Gomis and Andrija Maksimović have all been preferred, leaving Bakayoko with little prospect of regular football under Demichelis.
There has also been a disciplinary issue during the campaign, with the winger reportedly omitted from the squad for the 6-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt after arriving late. However, the reporting identifies sporting considerations as the main reason Leipzig are willing to let him go.
The club are not expected to stand in his way if a suitable offer arrives in January. A departure would bring a swift end to a transfer that had initially carried significant expectations, particularly given Klopp’s personal involvement in convincing him to move.
Bakayoko could now look for a club where he can regain regular playing time and rebuild his momentum. Leipzig, meanwhile, appear ready to move on after just over a year, with the winger unable to secure a consistent role.