Cody Gakpo has been one of the stars of the World Cup so far, having scored in both of the Netherlands’ first two games against Senegal and Ecuador.
In truth, such form is just a continuation of what the Dutch forward has been doing at club level for PSV Eindhoven over the past 18 months. He returned a 21-goal season, along with 15 assists, last year and already boasts 13 goals and a whopping 17 assists from just 24 appearances during the first half of the current campaign.
Make no mistake, contributing 34 goals and 32 assists from his last 71 club appearances has been enough to put a whole host of elite clubs on alert. And in truth, it was a surprise that the 23-year-old wasn’t on the move in the summer.
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The winger had held talks with Manchester United, and would turn down moves to both Leeds United and Southampton in favour of staying put at PSV when it became clear a switch to Old Trafford would not materialise.
"I was close to leaving, I spoke to Erik ten Hag a few times at Manchester United," Gakpo admitted to the Times back in October. "In the end the deal didn’t go through, which was a shame, for me and my development, and because Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, but also for PSV, because to transfer a player to Manchester United is a good thing for the club.
"It ended about a week before the end of the transfer window and in that week I had to decide if I would go to Leeds or Southampton. In the end I stayed, but it was a stressful period."
Yet he hinted on the eve of the World Cup that he will be on the move before next season, putting Liverpool forward as one of a number of clubs he would love to join if possible.
“I think at the end of this season I will be ready to take that step,” the PSV captain told Dutch outlet NOS . “I feel like I was already that way at the beginning of this season, but after this season I’m even more ready to take the next one. To take a step.
“PSV was always my dream club. I don’t really have one for the rest. (But) Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool. It would be an honour to play there, but I also have to see what kind of team I can best achieve my goals.”
Liverpool have found themselves increasingly linked with Gakpo in recent months as he continues to shine for PSV, with his displays at the World Cup only heightening such speculation. Meanwhile, it has been suggested in some sections that Reds assistant manager Pep Lijnders is a big fan of the winger.
Former Dutch footballer turned TV presenter Hans Kraay has claimed as much on ESPN on more than one occasion, suggesting Jurgen Klopp ’s number two is ‘charmed’ by Gakpo and considers him a ‘missing link’ at Anfield.
“Lijnders has said: ‘Gakpo is our missing link’,” Kraay claimed earlier this month. “He is taken very seriously at Liverpool and he is one of the few people Klopp listens to.”
Meanwhile, he’d also suggest a PSV exit is imminent following the winger’s long-range goal against Ecuador.
“Gakpo is gone. PSV are not going to keep him, and cannot keep him anymore,” he said. “Gakpo will soon be playing in the Premier League. The chance that it will be Manchester United is now a lot higher again, because Cristiano Ronaldo has left.
“They have even more money available. At Liverpool, assistant Pepijn Lijnders is charmed by him, so he is chasing Jurgen Klopp. Yes, Gakpo is gone.”
Klopp is reportedly set to have more involvement in the Reds’ recruitment going forward, after sporting director Julian Ward handed in his notice and confirmation that director of research Ian Graham will also leave the club next summer. As a result, it is perhaps plausible that the Liverpool manager will look to sign Gakpo, inspired by Lijnders’ recommendation.
After all, his assistant manager’s close relations with former club FC Porto and knowledge of Portuguese football have played a part in the Reds moving for the likes of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez in recent years.
Yet, something doesn’t quite add up as Liverpool find themselves linked to Gakpo. Do they really need him? According to reports in the Netherlands, PSV will demand £43m for the in-form forward. No problems there, such a fee won’t break the Reds bank regardless of the uncertainty behind the scenes at Anfield as FSG search for new buyers.
But a revamped midfield should be their transfer priority in 2023, not a new forward. Especially one like Gakpo’s whose favoured position is very clearly on the left-wing. Granted, he can play upfront or on the right, but the majority of his football comes cutting inside from the left.
Granted, Liverpool reluctantly had to play Darwin Nunez on the left in the final weeks before the World Cup break after losing both Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota to injury. But the Colombian is expected to return to action in time for the New Year, hopefully returning to training at their mid-season training camp in Dubai, while the Portuguese is expected to return in February.
Throw in the likes of Fabio Carvalho and Curtis Jones and the Reds are well-stocked on that left hand side, with Diaz the clear first-choice as the Reds completed something of a transfer coup when landing him ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth up to £49m back in January.
If Roberto Firmino were to leave at the end of his contract next summer, with Jota then primarily utilised down the middle, then yes, perhaps there would be a vacancy for an additional forward at Anfield. Yet the priority in such circumstances should perhaps be a natural alternative to Mohamed Salah on the opposing flank rather than another quality left-winger.
Of course, you never say no to quality and if Klopp were left with Diaz and Gakpo competing for a starting role, reminiscent of the world class options Pep Guardiola has at his disposal at Man City, it would be a mouthwatering dilemma. Perhaps such a scenario could occur depending on the would-be finances of potential new owners in place of FSG.
But at this time, Gakpo is not what Liverpool need and they should have other priorities. As well as he’s playing, and as much as Lijnders might admire him, the Reds made their choice when landing Diaz as a long-term replacement for Sadio Mane back in January. 11 months later, as the Colombian closes in on a return from injury, and they’ll certainly have no regrets.
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