Manchester United were once again left scratching their head as Liverpool hijacked their top transfer target Cody Gakpo from Liverpool. The Red Devils were in advanced negotiations with the player’s representatives and were growing optimistic of landing him next month due to the Dutch connection of their manager Erik ten Hag. However, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk’s Dutch ties with his Holland teammate prevailed as Gakpo chose the Reds over the Devils.
A couple of days after PSV announced the ‘record’ sale of Cody Gakpo to Liverpool, the Reds have now confirmed the same. Liverpool will be paying the Dutch side a package of £50 million for the talented winger, of which £37 million will be fixed fee and another £13 million worth add-ons. For a Liverpool team marred with injuries, this signing will definitely be a shot in the arm, whereas for United, it once again proved to be a shot too far.
Cody Gakpo explains why he snubbed United for Liverpool
Liverpool’s injury crisis has been beyond explainable this season, with many of their key players falling pray to long term injuries like dominos. However, the knocks which have hurt them the most are the ones to wingers Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota. The duo are sidelined for at least another three months, with the Reds short on options in that area.
As a result, Liverpool, who are famous for doing crucial business in the winter market, quickly went in for Cody Gakpo and sealed a deal. The 23-year-old revealed his Holland captain Virgil van Dijk too influenced his decision by talking to him before the move happened. And as evident, it was a massive help for Liverpool who completed a deal for the talented player within 24 hours.
Moreover, Gakpo arrives at Anfield on the back of a staggering 36 goal contributions [18 goals and 18 assists] for both club and country this year, including a stunning World Cup campaign with the Oranje in Qatar where he netted 3 goals in 5 games in their run-up till the quarterfinals. Speaking in his first interview after joining Liverpool, Cody Gakpo explained his decision to pick the Reds over their arch rivals United. He told the club’s official website:
“I feel really good, I’m really excited to be here. I’m looking forward to start training and start playing for this amazing club. I think this is a great club for me to come in and try to show what I can [do] and try to help the team to achieve more beautiful moments that they already did in the past years.
“I think for me personally it’s also good to develop here and there’s a lot of great players here [who] I can learn a lot of things from. I’m really looking forward to [playing at Anfield]. I heard a lot of great stories about the stadium, about the atmosphere. I cannot wait.
“Obviously [my aim is] to win as many prizes as we can as a team, to perform well, to show the world what we can do as a team and what I can do as a player. And personally, just to keep developing and become a better player every season. I’m really thankful that everybody is giving me such a warm welcome and I’m really looking forward to seeing everybody in the stadium and around the city.”
With his medical completed and all the paperwork signed, Gakpo should be ready to feature for Liverpool right after the turn of the year, in January. He could be in the stands for his new club’s next game against Leicester City on December 31, and on the bench or even the starting lineup against Brentford on January2. Meanwhile, United, who are left stranded after Gakpo snubbed them are searching for an alternative in the market. Erik ten Hag has asked the club to immediately bring in a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo who the club last month.