Vakoun Issouf Bayo, born on 10 January 1997 (age 29) in Daloa, is an Ivorian striker now with Udinese. He first came into Celtic’s orbit after a productive spell at DAC Dunajská Streda, where his 2018-19 league season brought 10 goals in 16 appearances.
Celtic signed him from DAC in January 2019 for around £2m. It was a punt on a forward with obvious physical tools and a decent scoring burst behind him, but his time in Glasgow never really became a settled Celtic story. In July 2021, he left for Gent for around £1.5m.
The period after Celtic was busier than it was straightforward. Gent, Charleroi and Udinese all came into the picture before he established himself more fully at Watford, where his career gained a firmer shape away from the early promise that had taken him to Glasgow.
He is now back at Udinese, wearing the number 10 shirt, and has made four Serie A appearances in 2026-27. His current market value is around £3.5m, according to Transfermarkt.
Bayo’s career has been a steady movement through good-level European clubs rather than a straight climb. Celtic was an important stop, but his more settled senior work has come later, particularly after leaving Scotland.
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