Leeds United, Jean-Mattéo Bahoya and the Fastest Player in Bundesliga History

Frank Sinatra once crooned, “and now, the end is near.” Is it time to celebrate the end of the transfer window? Has it “slammed closed” as the now down with the kids Sky Sports like to suggest? And how are we all feeling as the squad is set for the challenge ahead?

I first looked at Jean-Mattéo Bahoya back on the 23rd May and moved that particular post into my drafts. I had considered Bahoya as an unrealistic signing who fell into the “ambitious opportunism” category. You know the one – Charles De Ketelaere, Cody Gakpo, and a late run at Bamba Dieng. The kind of signing that likely requires Leeds to believe they’re not simply surviving in the Premier League anymore, but actively trying to build something far more dangerous long-term.

Leeds United and Jean-Mattéo Bahoya might still represent an ambitious move, but it no longer feels like that complete fantasy. So, after quietly banishing my first attempt at writing about him to the drafts three months ago, it’s time to have another look.

With that, let’s dive in.

PLAYER PROFILE

Jean-Mattéo Bahoya is a 21-year-old French winger currently playing for Eintracht Frankfurt. In terms of what Leeds have been looking for this summer, he’s a perfect fit. He’s right-footed and is most comfortable playing from the left. On top of that, Frankfurt have also played him from the right, as a number ten and through the middle. So, he’s incredibly versatile despite still being a young player.

What is it about Bahoya that makes him a really exciting signing? I mean, besides the potential for pun tomfoolery. He’s quick. Really fucking quick. In March 2025, Bahoya was clocked at 37.16 km/h (23.09 mph) during Frankfurt’s 3-1 win over Bochum. It remains the fastest speed recorded by any Bundesliga player since that data started being collected in 2011/12.

That obviously catches the eye. You don’t need to watch much football to understand the attraction of putting someone who can run at 23mph on the wing. To put that speed into some sort of context, former target Mykhailo Mudryk has been recorded at a top speed of 36.63 km/h. Kylian Mbappé has been recorded by UEFA at a top speed of 36.23 km/h, while Noah Okafor hit 33.8 km/h against Brentford at the weekend.

Bahoya isn’t just quick. He’s quicker than players we already think of as being rapid. The more interesting question is whether there’s enough footballer to go with it. It’s one thing being fast. It’s another actually doing something with the ball.

CAREER CONTEXT

Bahoya was born in Montfermeil, just outside Paris, in May 2005. After spells with FE Trélazé and ES Andard Brain, he joined Angers at nine and spent almost a decade in their academy. Frankfurt’s own account of his development credits Bahoya with 30 goals in 25 games for Angers’ U17 side, finishing as the league’s leading scorer.

His senior debut followed at 17. Bahoya made ten Ligue 1 appearances during 2022/23 before getting a much bigger opportunity following Angers’ relegation. He scored five times and registered two assists in 19 Ligue 2 appearances during the first half of 2023/24, which was enough to convince Frankfurt to move for him in January when he was still only 18.

Frankfurt gave him a contract until 2029, with sporting director Markus Krösche pointing specifically towards his pace and directness when explaining why they’d signed him. Bahoya played only 172 Bundesliga minutes across eight appearances in his first few months at Frankfurt. That was the soft introduction to the Bundesliga. Excuse the pun, but things began gathering pace in 2024/25. He made 24 Bundesliga appearances, starting ten, and contributed two goals and three assists. He also played nine times in the Europa League, scoring once and creating another as Frankfurt reached the quarter-finals.

Eintracht Frankfurt – 2024/25 Bundesliga

• 2 goals (109th overall)
• 3 assists (76thoverall)
• 6.81 FotMob rating (160th overall)
• 18 chances created (124th overall)
• 5 big chances created (79th overall)
• 1.7 successful dribbles per 90 (25th overall)
  
  

Last season brought another step forward without anything resembling a proper breakthrough. Bahoya made 27 Bundesliga appearances but started only nine of them, scoring three goals and registering two assists according to the DFB. He also featured in all eight of Frankfurt’s Champions League matches.

Eintracht Frankfurt – 2025/26 Bundesliga

• 3 goals (92nd overall)
• 4 assists (48thoverall)
• 6.96 FotMob rating (98th overall)
• 31 chances created (48th overall)
• 6 big chances created (55th overall)
• 2.8 successful dribbles per 90 (4th overall)

That leaves him in an interesting place now because he’s played Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Ligue 2, Europa League and Champions League football. He’s represented France from U18 through to U21 level and was part of the squad that reached the U19 European Championship final in 2024. But he’s still barely played. Across three Bundesliga seasons, Bahoya has made 59 appearances but only 19 starts. Opta has him at 2,421 league minutes for Frankfurt which works out at fewer than 27 complete matches. So despite everything already on his CV, we’re still dealing with a relatively inexperienced 21-year-old.

And that’s probably why I need to temper my excitement. Five goals from 59 Bundesliga appearances isn’t much. Neither is five assists. Even allowing for his limited minutes, we’re still waiting for Bahoya to turn all that speed and direct running into enough goals. There are times when he gets himself into a brilliant position and the final action doesn’t match everything that came before it. That’s where the frustration is. He can beat the first defender, explode into space and suddenly have the opposition running towards their own goal. Then the shot is rushed, the pass is slightly wrong, or he takes another touch when he didn’t need one. Iron that out, and he’ll be a hell of a player.

ATHLETICISM

This is obviously where things get silly because I need to say it again – 37.16 km/h. For more context, Alphonso Davies’ previous best Bundesliga speed was 36.53 km/h. Karim Adeyemi reached 36.65 km/h. Loïs Openda has reached 36.64 km/h. Bahoya went past all of them.

And it wasn’t some random sprint towards a loose ball that had absolutely nothing to do with the game. He hit that speed making a run during a Frankfurt counter-attack against Bochum — and scored his first Bundesliga goal in the same match.

Bahoya can get away from people very quickly. Give him space behind a full-back and you’re immediately creating a problem because once he’s level, there aren’t many defenders in Europe capable of catching him. That’s why Frankfurt were interested in the first place. Bahoya himself described his game shortly after joining the club: he likes playing from the left, taking defenders on, using his pace and then either crossing or coming inside onto his right foot to shoot.  That’s a much better description of him than I could invent.

STRENGTHS

• Pace
• Acceleration
• Dribbling
• Ball carrying
• Versatility

WEAKNESSES

• Finishing
• Final ball
• Decision-making
• Consistency
• Aerial ability
• Experience

CURRENT LEVEL

Bahoya is already capable of causing problems at Bundesliga level, but he hasn’t yet shown that he can do it consistently over a full season. Nineteen starts in three years tells you almost as much as the highlight reel does.

FLOOR

Even if the goals never really arrive, that pace should make Bahoya useful as a winger who can stretch games and terrify tired defenders. There’s a Premier League squad player in there at the very least.

CEILING

If the decision-making and end product catch up with everything else, we’re talking about a completely different level. He’s 21, ridiculously quick and already capable of beating defenders in one of Europe’s best leagues.

MY VERDICT

I first wrote about Bahoya back in May. Having watched him in the Bundesliga and Champions League, his pace both excited and aroused me. I originally thought he’d be a ridiculously expensive signing given his pace, his age, and the fact Frankfurt are no fools. But it hasn’t transpired that way. He’s available at a much lower price. And that makes him very appealing.

If someone tells me Leeds are looking at the fastest player in Bundesliga history, I’m hardly going to respond with “sounds shit, mate.” But that’s not even close to the full story with Bahoya, who has already played nearly 60 Bundesliga games. He’s played in the Champions League and Europa League. He’s represented France throughout the age groups. And yet he’s still only 21 and has started fewer than 30 league matches in his entire senior career.

We already know Bahoya can cope. What we don’t know is how good he can become. There’s risk involved (like there is with every transfer) that he may never fulfil his potential. But if nothing else, watching someone capable of running at 37.16 km/h charging down the left wing at Elland Road sounds like way more fun than it has any right to be.

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