It’s been claimed that one Liverpool player has handed in a transfer request to the club.
The summer transfer window hasn’t even opened and there’s already been plenty of major movement at Anfield, with Mo Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all departing and Arne Slot being sacked as head coach.
Andoni Iraola is poised to fill the latter vacancy, with the Spaniard’s appointment expected to be confirmed imminently, but it appears that he may have to plan without another of the Reds’ most-used players from ther 2025/26 season.
According to a report fror Soccernews.nl headlined ‘[Cody] Gakpo drops bombshell just before World Cup’, citing information from ‘English sources’, the Liverpool and Netherlands forward ‘has submitted a transfer request’ as he ‘does not see a future’ at Anfield after the sacking of Slot.
In terms of prospective destinations for the 27-year-old if he were to leave the Reds, Atletico Madrid are reportedly ‘open to a collaboration’ as they seek a replacement for club legend Antoine Griezmann, and our number 18 is said to carry a market value of €65m (£56.2m).
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We’d take these reports with a pinch of salt for now until such time that they’re corroborated by top-tier sources closer to Merseyside, but if indeed it’s the case that Gakpo has asked to leave Liverpool, it’d come as quite the disruptor to the club’s recruitment plans.
Admittedly the Dutchman had a poor season in which he scored just nine goals in 52 games (a 50% drop from the previous campaign) and was criticised by the likes of Stephen Warnock for being too ‘predictable’ in his play.
If the 27-year-old is pushing to depart Anfield, then FSG may be inclined to sanction an exit for a player who doesn’t want to be at the club and who could plausibly fetch a profit on the £35.4m-£44.3m that the Reds paid to sign him three-and-a-half years ago (BBC Sport).
However, with Salah now gone, Federico Chiesa likely to leave and Hugo Ekitike sidelined with a long-term injury, Liverpool run the risk of being alarmingly threadbare in attack going into the new season unless multiple new signings are made.
In that context, selling Gakpo could leave Iraola with precious few options up front, despite the emergence of Rio Ngumoha on the left flank over the past year. Alexander Isak may be back playing, but he’s been plagued by injuries in recent months, and who’s to say that won’t be the case again next term?
It’s a tricky situation for FSG with which to contend, if indeed the Netherlands international has formally requested to be sold.
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Should have been sold last summer instead of Diaz. A decent back up player to fill the squad or come off the bench, but we can get better than Gakpo. Rio is far better.
If it fetches a good price, sell him and invest in a proper left winger.
Gakpoach can leave. He was useless last season when we needed him the most. Snot’s teacher’s pet will get no tears from me. Adios!
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