Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been backed to have repeated a trick that saw the Reds seal the signing of Virgil van Dijk as they edge towards a deal for Cody Gakpo.
The Dutch forward looks to be on the verge of a switch to Anfield ahead of the January transfer window with his current employers PSV Eindhoven having confirmed that a deal has been agreed between the two clubs. Gakpo is now set to travel to Merseyside to hold talks with Liverpool as the Reds aim to beat fierce rivals Manchester United to the forward’s signature.
Former Liverpool star Jason McAteer has claimed that the presence of Klopp in negotiations has been a decisive factor. Speaking to beIN Sports, he said: "You've asked for the comparison between Liverpool and Manchester United there.
"Jurgen Klopp can ring Cody Gakpo and say 'we may have Jude Bellingham at the end of the season, we've got Diaz back at the end of the season, we've signed Nunez, Salah is staying, I'm staying for another two or three seasons and we've got big ambitions and aspirations.'”
Klopp has certainly proved his worth in transfer talks in the past with the Reds’ approach to the market having been transformed since his arrival at Anfield. McAteer has further claimed that personal discussions with Van Dijk was key in the Dutchman signing for Liverpool - a trick that has potentially been repeated ahead of the anticipated arrival of Gakpo.
"Klopp is brilliant at talking to players like that. I know with Virgil van Dijk, and I shouldn't really say this, he was never off the phone with him.
Will Cody Gakpo be a good signing for Liverpool? Share your thoughts in the comments below
"If Jurgen Klopp was ringing me up over ten Hag, I know which club I would be going for. For the price, I think it's a steal."
Whilst Van Dijk has no doubt had a wonderful impact at Anfield, his initial arrival at the club was shrouded in controversy. The Reds originally pursued the defender in the summer of 2017 but were forced to apologise and initially ended their interest in the former Southampton centre-back.
Van Dijk became a Liverpool player only months later with the Merseyside club completing a big-money January deal. There will be no such controversy with the signing of Gakpo with a deal edging close.
Should he put pen to paper on a deal at Anfield, he will certainly add a new dynamic to a Liverpool attack that has been struck down with injury over recent weeks. The 23-year-old had managed to score 13 goals and notch 17 assists before the enforced break for the World Cup.
He carried that form into the tournament itself having scored on three occasions as the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals - eventually falling to eventual winners Argentina.
