It was the Boxing Day twist plenty of Manchester United fans didn't see coming. For much of December Cody Gakpo has been a regular feature in transfer tittle-tattle around Old Trafford, so to see him end up down the M62 was certainly a surprise.
For some, it once again highlighted the efficiency with which Liverpool conduct their transfer business. Just as they swooped for Luis Diaz with the minimum of fuss last January, they have done so again with Gakpo now. He had barely been linked with a move to Anfield until it broke on Boxing Day evening that that was, indeed, where he was going.
The links with United made sense but were always fuelled as much by transfer window maths as they were by a burning desire to sign the player. After the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo they needed a forward, Gakpo was a player they tried to sign in the summer and he impressed in the World Cup.
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But while Erik ten Hag was a fan of the player, it didn't mean Gakpo was an ideal fit for United's needs right now. He played centrally for the Netherlands in the World Cup, but at PSV Eindhoven his 13 goals and 17 assists this season have all come in 24 games on the left wing.
According to Transfermarkt, he played three games as a centre forward for the Dutch giants last season, but there is no doubt he is raw and inexperienced in that position, even if he has the profile to potentially develop as a No. 9.
United don't really need a project player, however. They need a No. 9 for the rest of this season. With Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota injured, Liverpool need a left-winger until May. This move makes a certain degree of sense.
Had United committed £44million on Gakpo it would have dented their summer budget. The £225million they spent in Ten Hag's first transfer window was a lot more than initially planned and that will have a knock-on effect. Signing Gakpo now might have prevented a move for an elite No. 9 in the summer.
Letting him join Liverpool also comes with a risk, however. Gakpo would have improved Ten Hag's options across the forward line and if Anthony Martial was unavailable it would have meant either Marcus Rashford or Gakpo could have played through the middle.
There is also now the unedible prospect of Gakpo shining for Liverpool and pushing them into the top four. Arsenal and Manchester City looked guaranteed of two of those spots. Newcastle show no signs of slowing down and Liverpool will improve on the first part of this season. Throw in Chelsea and Tottenham and it's clear the race for the Champions League places is going to be intense.
Ten Hag has made it clear he wants a forward in January to replace Ronaldo, the question now is who. Goncalo Ramos has admirers at Old Trafford but is inexperienced and won't be a cheap option after his World Cup hat trick. Mohammed Kudus can operate as a false nine, is positionally flexible and Ten Hag is a fan, having worked with him at Ajax.
Alternatively, it might be a case of looking for another short-term option, just as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did with Odion Ighalo in January 2020.
A return to Old Trafford for Memphis Depay might not be particularly palatable given how disastrous his first spell at the club was, but he's a more mature character now, is a proven forward and is available from Barcelona. He's also familiar to Ten Hag, who had a significant role to play in his development when the current United manager was a coach at PSV Eindhoven while Depay was making his name.
The January market is always a difficult one to operate in and United have issues to navigate around, particularly in relation to the transfer budget after the aggressive approach they took last summer. They did at least save £16million in wages when Ronaldo left the club. That kind of figure might be enough to bring Depay in, leaving more in the kitty to pursue another striker in the summer.
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