The first major overtaking that left the World Cup in Qatar: Cody Gakpo arrives in Liverpool for a millionaire

It is common for the weeks following a World Cup to be a period of heavy activity in the European transfer market. This time, the difference is that this period takes place in full competition, as the season in the main leagues of the planet is coming to Ecuador. In that context, Liverpool were the first colossus to move: they secured the services of the Dutchman Cody Gakpoone of the strikers who raised his price thanks to his work in Qatar.

Confirmation of the deal came late Monday evening through a statement published on the PSV website, the club where Gakpo has been training since he was six years old and in which he has played in the First Division since 2018. Even if the parties have promised not to provide details about the amount of the operation, the British press estimated it at 44 million pounds (50 million euros).

By this way, the transaction became the most expensive in PSV’s history (surpassed the sale of Mexican Hirving Lozano to Napoli for 45 million euros in August 2019) and in the fifth most expensive sale in the history of Dutch football behind the four made by Ajax: those of Anthony (to Manchester United for 100 million), Frankie de Jong (to Barcelona for 86 million), matthijs de ligt (to Juventus for 85.5 million) e Lisandro Martínez (to Manchester United for 57.4 million).

Son of a Togolese father and a Dutch mother, Gakpo, 23, was having a great season before the World Cup stop: with his team and with the national team he had played 29 games, in which he had scored 15 goals and conceded 18 assists. In the Eredivisie, where PSV are third (behind Feyenoord and Ajax), he led the league table for goals (9), assists (12), chances created (59), shots attempted (39) and shots on target (26). .

That and his first steps in the Dutch national team, in which he made his Eurocup debut last year (when the team was still led by Frank de Boer), had already aroused the interest of Manchester United and Real Madrid, who were following in his footsteps. . However, his three goals (against Senegal, Ecuador and Qatar in the group stage) and strong performances for Louis van Gaal’s side in the World Cup have seen Liverpool moving faster than their rivals.

The urgency of networks also resided in the absence of two of their forwards: Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota. The Colombian underwent surgery on his right knee two weeks ago which will keep him off the pitch until March. The Portuguese picked up a calf injury in his right leg and will not return until February. For the moment, Gakpo will share the attack with the Egyptian Mohamed Salah, the Uruguayan Darwin Núñez and the Brazilian Roberto Firmino.

The Dutchman’s arrival in the Premier League comes just months after Manchester United took an interest in him during last European summer. At that time, the operation failed because the red devils they didn’t have much budgetary headroom and could only play strong for a striker. His compatriot Erik ten Hag, manager of United, favored the Brazilian Antony, who had coached at Ajax.

“I was about to leave. I spoke to Erik ten Hag several times, but in the end the deal didn’t go through, which was a shame. It all ended a week before the transfer window closed. In that week I had to decide whether to go to Leeds or Southampton. In the end I stayed, but it was a stressful time”the player told in October in an interview published in The Times newspaper.

Last month, before the start of the World Cup, Gakpo made it clear in a chat with the Dutch newspaper NOS that he is not frustrated by that move that did not materialize, he bet on Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​​​Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool as desirable destinations (“I have to see in which team I can best achieve my goals”, he clarified) and considered that at the end of this season he would be “ready to take the next step”. But times have accelerated.

What can Gakpo bring to a star-studded team? Speed, focus and versatility. At PSV he had acted as a left winger, but in the national team he also worked as a center forward and also as a striker. “He didn’t want to play center or 10, but he had to do it for me. He’s got a wonderful personality to be a star because he’s open to anything.”praised van Gaal during the World Cup, the tournament that opened the doors to this great leap.