Dutch defender Mitchel Bakker completed his permanent transfer move to Bayer Leverkusen last week. Bakker ended his run with Paris Saint-Germain to join the notable Bundesliga side.
Bakker enjoyed early success while with PSG but overall, club officials did not see the Dutch talent as a player who they could soon rely on to become its long-term starting left-back.
Still, Bakker had promising showings during his PSG run and certainly learned from several of the team’s veteran talents.
In speaking to Bayer Leverkusen’s official website, Bakker took a look back on his short tenure with the French powerhouse.
“I played a lot under Thomas Tuchel,” Bakker said. “I played alongside the best players in the world in Paris and was on the training ground with them every day. I was able to pick up a lot, for example from players like Thiago Silva. Now I’m happy to be here, and I want to play my part in this club’s success.”
Former PSG manager Thomas Tuchel saw early promise in Bakker. The German manager went on to start Bakker in the team’s pair of domestic cup finals last year, which included the Dutchman’s key showing against Olympique Lyonnais in the 2020 Coupe de la Ligue Final.
More so, Bakker learned much from his time playing alongside veterans such as Thiago Silva.
For now, Bakker is well aiming to earn critical playing time minutes in Bundesliga play this upcoming season.
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