While there’s little doubting Cody Gakpo’s ability, the Dutchman has endured a mixed opening 18 months to his Liverpool career. Gakpo, 25, was tracked relentlessly by Manchester United, who lost out on the highly-rated forward to their fierce rivals in January 2023.
The Merseyside club’s acquisition of Gakpo was the envy of several other Premier League and European suitors, who’d been impressed with the forward’s displays for Eredivisie outfit PSV Eindhoven. Gakpo was a dependable source of goals and assists for Eindhoven, and Liverpool ended up signing him for a fee of between £35million and £45million.
Gakpo’s link-up play, control, and intelligence have added composure to an otherwise chaotic Liverpool forward line over the last 18 months, but the 25-year-old would probably have hoped to have made a greater contribution to the Anfield club, who will begin life under new manager, Arne Slot, next month.
Despite facing periods in and out of the Liverpool team, and receiving public criticism from club legend Jamie Carragher after the club’s shock FA Cup quarter-final exit to Manchester United, Gakpo has already made 79 appearances since making his switch to the Premier League club.
Gakpo made an immediate impact at Anfield as he made 10 goal contributions in his opening 23 Premier League appearances, including a memorable double in Liverpool’s famous 7-0 victory over United during the 2022-23 Premier League season, prompting former manager Jurgen Klopp to state that “fans can be excited” about the club’s recent signing.
But Gakpo endured some personal difficulty during Liverpool’s 82-point 2023-24 campaign, as Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez was favoured over him for a lot of matches. Gakpo rotated between playing out wide, as a central attacking midfielder, and as a forward before spending an extended period of time starting on the substitutes’ bench.
Nonetheless, Gakpo concluded the season with 53 appearances in all competitions, providing a further 22 goal contributions for the Anfield club.
Gakpo, who is part of the Netherlands squad for this summer’s European Championship, will eagerly await the opportunity to impress fellow Dutchman Slot during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States in July.
Gakpo’s Toughest Premier League Opponents
The forward has played against some of the world’s top defenders in England
Gakpo, who has played in three different positions during his time in the Premier League and experienced varying levels of success, has a unique perspective on the division’s toughest defenders, having been directly marked by full-backs, defensive midfielders, and centre-backs during his 18 months at Anfield.
The forward has already scored against some of the Premier League’s strongest sides, including Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and Manchester United. So, who did Gakpo find it most challenging to play against and why?
In a recent interview with ESPN UK, Gakpo revealed his toughest Premier League opponent to date is Thiago Silva, who concluded his illustrious playing career in Europe last month, after making a move to Brazilian side Fluminense. Gakpo claimed:
“He (Thiago Silva) was one of my first games here at Liverpool. He was just really smart. He is a little bit older now, but, yeah, a very class defender, really smart, thinking a few steps ahead. I don’t even know if I got in a physical duel with him, but he was just there, everywhere.”
Thiago, 39, won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 and has won first division titles in both France and Italy. The former Brazil captain and Gakpo met on three occasions following the Dutchman’s arrival in the Premier League. During the duo’s most recent January 2024 meeting, Gakpo helped Liverpool to a resounding 4-1 victory over Thiago Silva’s Chelsea.
