Premier League giants Manchester City and Liverpool reportedly want Cody Gakpo and PSV team-mate Jordan Teze is pleased to see the Dutch international get the attention he deserves, speaking to Voetbal International.
Those 80 stunning seconds at the King Power aside, it’s fair to say things haven’t really gone to plan for Steven Bergwijn on English soil.
So with reports linking another fresh-faced PSV wideman with a big-money move to Britain, you’d be forgiven for wondering if Gakpo is destined to disappoint, just like the man he replaced at the Philips Stadium.
According to VI, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are keen on PSV’s 22-year-old homegrown hero. As are Arsenal (FootMercato).
But, some have argued, comparing Gakpo to Bergwijn is folly. Former Ajax midfielder Kenneth Perez believes Gakpo, who has scored more goals for PSV in fewer games than Bergwijn managed, is actually the more talented of the two.
“He scores a lot more goals,” Perez said. “He has power, speed, vision, and skill. I think he is a super interesting player.”
Is Cody Gakpo joining Bergwijn in the Premier League?
PSV director John de Jong is under no illusions.
He admitted, a few weeks ago, that the Eredivisie giants won’t be able to hang onto Gakpo for much longer, providing he continues to develop at such a rapid rate.
“It is nice that he’s linked with big clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool,” adds Teze.
“Those are great clubs to go to. The top of Europe is, for a footballer, the best thing there is.”
“(Those links) make us very proud, of course,” adds centre-back Armando Obispo.
“To be honest, I expected that he’d become this good. But not that his development would go so fast that he could already show it in the Dutch national team.
“But we are on the field with him every day, we know what Cody can do.”
Liverpool paid £37 million to bring in Luis Diaz from Porto in January. Does this mean, when the race for Gakpo heats up in the summer, that Jurgen Klopp’s side will be no longer in contention?
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