Cody Gakpo names Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp has compared him to

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Cody Gakpo has said that Jurgen Klopp compared the winger to Roberto Firmino after signing for Liverpool in January.

Speaking to Algemeen Dagblad, the Dutch international revealed that the Anfield boss was quick to liken the former PSV Eindhoven superstar to the Liverpool legend after arriving earlier this year.

Gakpo said: “[Klopp] immediately said in January: ‘Cody can press well, he can do as a striker what Roberto Firmino did for us for years’. I am challenged to get out of my comfort zone. I like that.”

Klopp isn’t the only influential Liverpool figure to make such a claim, with Mohamed Salah repeating something very similar at the start of pre-season after Firmino had left Merseyside.

Whilst Darwin Nunez has become the leading man in the attack for the Reds this campaign, it’s clear that the Uruguay international is a completely different player to Firmino in terms of style.

And when you boil it down, Gakpo is the most Firmino-like player in Liverpool’s ranks, with the 24-year-old forward having all the traits needed to fill in the role if needed by Klopp.

Gakpo could become Klopp’s long-term replacement for Firmino at Liverpool

With Nuenz enjoying his best run of form yet as a Liverpool player, it might be some time before Klopp considers overhauling his attack yet again.

Yet there’s a good chance that when the time comes, Gakpo will be the player who takes the lead role in the front-three, with the Dutchman ideal to play the Firmino role in Liverpool 2.0.

The versatile attacker is an elite finisher and has proven himself to be excellent at playing deep when needed, linking up the likes of Luis Diaz and Salah into the forward line.

A day could soon come when Gakpo is Liverpool’s leading man, and taking influence from Firmino is the best course of action the winger can take if he wants to succeed at Anfield.