Cody Gakpo is set to become a Liverpool player.
The news broke on Boxing Day that a deal had been reached to bring Gakpo to Anfield, and fans were sent into a frenzy after the Reds captured the Eredivisie’s brightest young talent.
This is a landmark signing for a number of reasons, but, perhaps poignantly, this is Liverpool’s first signing since Julian Ward announced that he will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season.
The Reds are set to go in a different direction after Ward’s departure, and this deal may actually be telling us quite a lot about the structure going forwards.
Indeed, while many have stated that Jurgen Klopp will be the one leading the Reds’ recruitment drive from now on, the capture of Gakpo suggests that another voice will be heard on this front – Pep Lijnders’.
Lijnders, of course, is a Dutchman himself, and he knows Gakpo very well.
In fact, one Dutch pundit, Harry Kraay, stated that he was told directly by Lijnders last month that Gakpo was the missing piece of the Liverpool puzzle.
“Lijnders has said: ‘Gakpo is our missing link’,” explained Kraay. “He is taken very seriously at Liverpool and he is one of the few people Klopp listens to.”
The 39-year-old was also, as explained in his book, key to bringing Luis Diaz to Liverpool, and it looks like he’s also played a part in getting Gakpo to Anfield.
The Assistant Manager is clearly someone who has a lot of sway on Merseyside, and when Ward leaves, he may act as a partial replacement for the Sporting Director. After all, he knows how to identify a player and seemingly has Klopp’s trust.
Lijnders could be vital as Liverpool’s recruitment structure begins to evolve after Ward’s departure.
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