Liverpool are one of a number of clubs who are ‘accelerating their interest’ in PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo.
That’s according to The Athletic, who report that the 22-year-old could be available for around £35m this summer.
Gakpo has previously been reported to have held ‘exploratory talks’ with both Liverpool and Manchester City (Voetbal International).
It had been claimed that he may have been preparing to leave Holland last January. Instead, the Dutch international signed a new contract until 2026.
The Athletic claim that this contract does not contain a release clause. However, it was reportedly signed with an understanding that ‘PSV will cooperate with the process’ should suitable offers arrive for Gakpo in the upcoming window.
Liverpool are joined by Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the race to sign Gakpo. Although negotiations with PSV are apparently yet to take place, the suggestion is that once Gakpo’s intentions become clear, club-to-club contact will begin.
Options galore on Liverpool’s left
Liverpool’s interest in Gakpo certainly makes a lot of sense. He is a young winger very much in the style of the Reds’ famous attacking front-line.
With 16 goals and 14 assists in 36 games for PSV this season, he is one of the most productive wingers in Europe.
However the Dutchman primarily plays on the left, cutting inside onto his stronger right-foot. That’s of course the way that Jurgen Klopp likes his front-men to operate. But The Reds signed Luis Diaz for big money in January.
In doing so, it seemed that Liverpool no longer needed to find a heir to Sadio Mane’s potentially soon-to-be vacated throne.
Mane’s future at Liverpool remains unclear. But should Liverpool feel it necessary to bring in another left-side forward, it could be that the club are preparing for his departure this summer.
That being said, there’s no harm in having strong options in the squad. We’ve seen so far this season how Liverpool have benefitted from being able to turn to quality from the bench.
It has also been reported that Klopp is toying with the idea of playing Diaz through the middle. With Mane also successfully playing this role recently, perhaps there is no need to worry about an excess of left-sided players.
The hunt for Gakpo’s signature looks like being a crowded one. Should Liverpool decide they do want another option on the left, there would be few better available at a reasonable price.
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