EPL Transfer Spotlight: Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo

Once the dust settled following the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, several transfer rumors surfaced concerning players who impressed internationally but were not yet in the top four leagues and/or on the highest European level.

Cody Gakpo made a positive impression in the Netherlands’ midfield, scoring three goals in group stage matches against Senegal, Ecuador and Qatar. The scramble to sign the player was mainly between Man United and Liverpool. On December 28, Liverpool announced Cody’s signing for a fee of €40 million that can increase to €50 million over a period of five and a half years.

Background

Gakpo was born in Einhoven in 1999 to a Togolese father with Ghanaian ancestry and a Dutch mother. At the age of 8, he joined the PSV youth academy where he progressed through all the youth teams. Gakpo choose to play for Netherlands starting from the U18 level over Togo and Ghana.

Gakpo made his debut for PSV’s first team at the age of 19 in early 2019. He made 14 appearances, mostly coming on from the bench, scoring one goal and making one assist. He made his breakthrough the following season in Eredivisie, recording 25 appearances and notching seven goals plus seven assists.

In his final full season with PSV (2021-22), Cody appeared 47 times between the domestic league and Europa League, scoring a total of 21 goals. Before the World Cup, he scored nine goals in the first 14 domestic matches and three goals in nine European matches.

How Will Cody Fit in at Liverpool?

Gakpo prefers to start his plays from left midfield to cut inside to an attacking position before assessing his options from there.

With Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz injured, Gakpo made his Liverpool debut on January 7, starting at left wing against Wolves in a 2-2 draw. He also started as a forward in the shocking 0-3 defeat to Brighton seven days later as part of Klopp’s attempt to field a 4-3-1-2.

Klopp returned to a 4-3-3 when Liverpool hosted Chelsea FC yesterday, and Gakpo was given the role of the center striker. He was subbed off in minute 82, and the match ended in a goalless draw. Gakpo will get more minutes in the coming weeks due to lack of other options, but he will need to prove himself before his competitors return to fitness.

If he grows to become Liverpool’s new hero at the age of 23-24, then Liverpool could return to the top with Gakpo a part of version 2.0 of Klopp’s attacking trio.

Fantasy Prospects

In Official Fantasy Premier League, Cody Gakpo is a midfielder priced at £7.9. Unfortunately, there are several proven high-return players with smaller price tags, so he’s a no-go in that format for now.

In Fantrax, Gakpo is a pure forward who has earned a grand total of +9 points over his two appearance (171 minutes). Not surprisingly, his price has crashed to the minimum $1 and will probably stay near there until he produces a double-digit return.

Considering Liverpool’s current shaky performance and results, acquiring Gakpo is not advisable in any format. It may take several weeks for his impact to show (if it does at all). But if it does, then one might consider a Fantrax impulse buy for a buck.

Stats and info for this article were sourced from: skysports.com, whoscored.com, and sofascore.com.

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Gakpo is already a star in PSV and with Netherlands. Was this the right move for him? Was he a good pick up for Klopp’s search of depth / temporary replacement for Diaz and Jota? Will he start in most matches or will he be a depth option for the Champions League? Will he become an important fantasy option? Please log in and tell us what you think!

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