Following a sluggish start to the Premier League season, the Reds wasted no time in beefing up their arsenal with the recent acquisition of red-hot 23-year-old Dutch striker Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven.
Gakpo, who served as PSV’s linchpin the entire season in the Eredivisie, garnered attention during the World Cup in Qatar after scoring in three straight games during the group stage against Senegal, Ecuador, and Qatar.
Jurgen Klopp hasn’t had many choices up front with Sadio Mane’s exit unavoidably leaving a vacuum and Luis Diaz facing almost 3 months on the sidelines following surgery to nurse his lateral collateral ligament.
Several top European clubs expressed interest in Gakpo, including Manchester United, who came very close to winning the race. However, Liverpool came out on top.
Gakpo is also the leading goal scorer in the Eredivisie with 9 goals in 14 matches and has provided 12 assists so far this season.
He was so close to duplicating his goal tally from the previous campaign when he made 27 appearances and notched 12 goals and 13 assists.
Liverpool has since reached an agreement with the player on a six-year contract, with all clauses confirmed, for an estimated record sum of £37 million guaranteed plus $13 million in add-ons.
Before deciding to join the Premier League team, the youngster reportedly sought counsel from his countryman Virgil Van Dijk, who also plays for Liverpool, according to multiple publications in Europe.
The reports further suggest Van Dijk played a significant role in persuading his countryman to join him at Liverpool as he believes it will be good for his development.
With all the paperwork now signed and sealed, Gakpo is expected to travel to England this week to complete his medical tests as a new Liverpool player.
