Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has told Cody Gakpo to reject Manchester United in favour of a move to another Premier League club.
Gakpo, 23, is one of the most sought-after footballers in Europe after scoring 18 goals and providing 18 assists for PSV Eindhoven and Netherlands this season. He is the joint-leading scorer at the World Cup in Qatar with three goals in three games.
United are on the hunt for a new forward after terminating Cristiano Ronaldo's contract by mutual consent earlier this month. The Portugal international, 37, was allowed to leave Old Trafford after criticising the club's owners the Glazers and manager Erik ten Hag.
Gakpo is believed to be on United's transfer shortlist after his sensational start to the season. PSV reportedly want €50million (£43m) for their talisman, which makes him an affordable target. Leeds, Barcelona, Liverpool and Arsenal have also been linked with him.
Yet Babel has urged Gakpo not to join United. "Gakpo has impressed me... You see him linked to clubs in England, such as Manchester United," he wrote in his column for The Athletic. "Everyone has the right price so let’s see how he develops in the tournament.
"He has shown enough quality that he is ready for the next step, whether it’s in January or next summer. As a Liverpool fan, I would tell him to go to Liverpool if they make an approach!
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"Arsenal would also be an incredible team for him, with the current manager and the project that they’re building. He has to follow his heart."
Babel's comments are unsurprising considering his Liverpool links. The 69-cap Netherlands international spent three-and-a-half years on Merseyside, scoring 22 goals in 146 appearances for the Reds. He left in January 2011 after failing to win silverware.
Babel has been in a similar situation to what Gakpo is in now. He was one of the most exciting wingers in the Eredivisie during his first spell at Ajax - scoring 24 goals in three seasons - and was courted by several clubs before choosing Liverpool in July 2007.
Babel has advised Gakpo to join the Premier League club that best suits his playing style. He's warned the youngster the division is "big step" and "not every player is able to adapt" to its "pace, physicality and different game styles".
The former Liverpool regular added: "When I went to Liverpool in my twenties it was like a whole new world opened... It was hard not to lag behind, learning the rules of Liverpool and the English culture and the Premier League as a whole.
"If I was to advise Gakpo, I would say, 'Choose your next club based on their style of playing'. If a club like Manchester United comes calling, you first have to picture yourself playing well with that setup, rather than just seeing the name. You have to look at the style of playing and the demands of the coach and ask yourself if can execute to a high level."
