Cody Gakpo has revealed the reason a move to Manchester United collapsed and paved the way for him to join Liverpool instead.
The 25-year-old is enjoying his best spell for the Premier League club and has played a pivotal role in a season that looks likely to end in glory for Arne Slot’s men.
Injuries to Diogo Jota allied to Darwin Nunez’s erratic form in front of goal has seen Gakpo take on extra responsibility this term under Jurgen Klopp’s successor.
With 14 goals in all competitions, the former PSV Eindhoven forward is finally justifying Klopp’s decision to sign him, in part on the evidence of his impressive performances for Netherlands at the Qatar World Cup.
Gakpo could easily have been representing his country as a United player after Erik ten Hag had made him a priority transfer target upon his appointment at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag had already raided the Eredivisie and recruited his former Ajax charges Lisandro Martinez and Antony and planned to make Gakpo a key part of his forward line.
A late change of heart, however, saw the deal stall and Gakpo made the decision to stay put, until the winter window, after he scored his first career hat-trick for PSV against FC Volendam shortly before the deadline.
‘In the summer of 2022 I was almost planning to leave and I almost went to United at the end they didn’t want me anymore, things happened,’ Gakpo told TNT Sport.
‘Then I could’ve stayed here or went to two other clubs I just prayed about it and found the answer in some goals I scored.
‘I scored a hat-trick and it was the first hat-trick of my career so I think a more clear answer I couldn’t get. And besides, fate guides me a lot and I think my parents guide me a lot in everything I do.’
Gakpo is returning to Eindhoven, where he spent five years, tonight for the first time since his January 2023 move to Merseyside.
‘Pretty strange,’ he said when he asked how it would feel.
‘I’ve never been in the away dressing room so it will be my first time. But when the game starts I think all those things will fade away and we will be focused on the game and we are going for the win.’
Slot, meanwhile, admits he has broken with his usual preparation methods by planning for two matches at the same time after naming a weakened squad for the trip to Eindhoven.
His Champions League leaders, the only team to win all seven matches, are guaranteed to finish no lower than second and having assessed the potential implications for the last 16 he decided the return to his homeland was a game he could gamble on.
Saturday’s trip to high-flying Bournemouth is the most significant fixture this week as Liverpool look to maintain their six-point lead at the top and for that reason he has left nine of the team who beat Ipswich 4-1 at home.
Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz have all been given Wednesday off in order to have some much-needed downtime, with this the eight game of nine in 27 days.
Defender Joe Gomez has also remained at home after returning to training having missed seven matches with a hamstring injury.
Slot was asked if he was scared at the prospect of facing the Dutch champions and current Eredivisie leaders without most of his major stars.
‘I wouldn’t say I’m scared. It took me while to understand this new format but I am 100 per cent sure it doesn’t matter at all if we end up one or two; the result has no importance,’ he said.
‘We play PSV and then Bournemouth and then Tottenham (in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final).
‘I’m especially working on PSV and Bournemouth and this is exceptional as normally I would only be looking at PSV – but I’m looking at Bournemouth as well.
‘All the ones who I left behind could have played tomorrow but if you look back at our season almost every three, four or five weeks we gave them a break if there was a moment to give them some freshness back.
‘They will be off tomorrow, if it is possible we prefer to have them off three days before a game but it is not always possible, and a few staff members will go home earlier on Thursday morning to train those that have stayed behind.’
No comments:
Post a Comment