Paul Merson has suggested that Liverpool have only signed Cody Gakpo to ‘stop Manchester United‘ from getting him.
Jurgen Klopp has got his winter business off to a brilliant start by bringing in the Netherlands international for £37 million.
No doubt it’ll hurt Manchester United after the Red Devils were also heavily linked to signing him.
According to Fabrizio Romano last week [GiveMeSport], as covered by HITC Sport, Erik ten Hag’s side were actually in ‘advanced negotiations’ to sign the 23-year-old attacker.
And Merson believes that part of Liverpool’s motivation in signing Gakpo was just so their bitter Premier League rivals couldn’t.
He told The Daily Star: “It feels like a “Stop Manchester United” signing really. United were trying to get him too and this stops them from doing that.”
Is Merson right? Absolutely not.
Liverpool genuinely need someone like Gakpo, a winger.
Remember, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz are both injured until February and March respectively, and after losing Takumi Minamino and Sadio Mane last summer without replacing them, Klopp’s wide options are down to the bare bones.
As a result, signing the former PSV Eindhoven attacker absolutely made sense for the Reds.
Yes, it might provide a little bit of pleasure that Liverpool have thwarted Manchester United in the process, but make no mistake that Gakpo is a player who the German manager desperately needs and therefore Merson’s theory is, well, questionable.
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