The France Under-21 international arrived on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt on deadline day, but has so far played only five minutes of senior football, plus stoppage time, for Leeds United. Farke has repeatedly been asked when the 21-year-old will receive more opportunities, with the manager revealing that the questions have followed him beyond the training ground.
“I would like to know why all this hype around Jean-Matteo,” Farke said.
“I do my weekly shopping in the local supermarkets and honestly the last few weeks every time the topic is Jean-Matteo. Last time an older guy said, 'Daniel bring this young French winger on he's outstanding.'
“I said, 'Ah you know him?'
“'No I don't know him.'
“'Where have you seen him then?'
“'I haven't seen him, I've just heard it.'
“I like it because I love Jean-Matteo and I like it when the outside world believes in my players and want to see them.
“But the problem is a bit the perception of this story and if we have sold him in the wrong way on our social media that we have signed the new Raphinha or whatever.”
Farke's concern is that the attention surrounding Bahoya could place unnecessary pressure on a young player who was brought in with development in mind rather than as an immediate solution to Leeds' attacking problems.
“If you make too much hype around a young lad like Jean-Matteo this can't be a success in the end,” he cautioned.
“At the moment in every press conference I'm asked about him. Before the game can he start, could he have started after the game?
“It's not healthy for him. It's not healthy for my relationship with him. It's not healthy for his standing within the group.
“I love Jean-Matteo, I love to work with him, but we have to keep a bit in mind what we expect sometimes. We don't do a favour to this young lad if we overload them with expectations.”
The Leeds manager explained that the club had initially looked for a signing capable of making an immediate contribution, but financial considerations meant they eventually pursued Bahoya as a longer-term prospect.
“We signed him on the last day of this transfer window. We were trying to sign a player who can make an immediate impact.
“In the end the club decided we can't spend that much money on this position and we were a bit short.
“Jean-Matteo was always on our list because he's full of potential for the mid-term, for the long-term, for the future.”
Farke also pointed to the winger's circumstances at Frankfurt, where he had been on the bench towards the end of last season and at the beginning of the current campaign. He believes Bahoya needs time to develop before he can be expected to make a regular impact in the Premier League.
“He needs to add a bit of physicality to his game. He needs to improve his decision-making, his finishing. We want to do this.
“And if during the season he improves, he can develop into a player who can compete for minutes and perhaps even compete for a place in the starting line-up.”
Farke acknowledged that the financial arrangement could prove valuable if the winger fulfils his potential, but rejected the idea that he should already be expected to deliver at the level of an established Premier League attacker.
“If we expect him immediately to make a huge impact and to be the difference-maker at this level for us, sorry, but this has nothing to do with reality.
“I've worked in the Bundesliga. It's easier to make an impact at Bundesliga level in comparison to the best league in the world.”
The manager's message was that Bahoya must continue working on his game rather than become distracted by the attention surrounding him.
“What he needs to do is to train with consistency and to improve the aspects I spoke about and he's exactly doing this. He works unbelievably hard in order to do this.
“But this will never happen if he thinks I'm already on Raphinha's level. No chance.
“I want to give this project a chance but for that we have to be patient with them.”
Farke's defence of the young forward was also a clear request to supporters to allow the loan signing room to develop without the burden of expectations that he believes are premature.