BBC pundit spots two reasons why Liverpool have now found their Sadio Mane replacement

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Pundit Garth Crooks has hailed Cody Gakpo whilst suggesting that the Liverpool attacker is the real replacement for Sadio Mane.

Crooks has named Gakpo in his Premier League Team of the Week for BBC Sport after seeing him shine for Liverpool against Manchester United on Sunday.

Gakpo opened the scoring with a superb run and shot into the corner of the net.

The Dutchman then scored Liverpool’s third with a beautiful dink over David De Gea from Mohamed Salah’s pass.

It was written in the stars that Gakpo would score against United having been so heavily linked with a move there in recent times.

Crooks was blown away, believing that Gakpo is now showing that he can be Sadio Mane’s replacement at Anfield.

Darwin Nunez arrived last summer and has been playing on the left flank – the role Mane played for Liverpool.

Crooks thinks it’s Gakpo and not Nunez who can now replace Mane as he has two key traits – composure in front of goal and being a team player.

“Since the departure of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich, Liverpool fans have been patiently waiting to see a replacement they could embrace. I think Gakpo might be that player. The former PSV striker has settled in to his role at Anfield seamlessly and in a manner of weeks,” said Crooks.

”He is composed in front of goal and a team player – both very much in the image of Mane,” he added.

Cody Gakpo could actually replace Roberto Firmino at Liverpool

We can understand the Mane comparison but we actually think Gakpo may emerge as the successor to Roberto Firmino.

Gakpo doesn’t have the blistering pace that Mane possesses and isn’t quite as direct as the now-Bayern Munich star.

It’s hard to see Gakpo having the same impact as Mane for those reasons but he could be ideal centrally.

Gakpo is very adept with the ball at his feet; he makes good decisions, he is comfortable carrying the ball and takes up good positions off the front.

That’s where Jurgen Klopp keeps using Gakpo and it may be that he ends up becoming the new false nine at Liverpool with Firmino leaving this summer.

Liverpool will be delighted to have such a versatile threat in their ranks and time will tell where Gakpo plays – but we like him through the middle with Nunez or Luis Diaz on the left.