Gary Neville has said on Sky Sports Premier League (7:30pm, December 30, 2022) that Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United did not need to sign Cody Gakpo, who has joined Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool from PSV.
Liverpool have signed Netherlands international forward Gakpo from PSV.
The former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners have paid an initial £37 million (The Guardian) in transfer fees for the 23-year-old, who played at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Manchester United were strongly linked with the Dutchman before Liverpool swooped in.
As reported by The Mirror, United manager Erik ten Hag personally wanted to sign Gakpo.
GiveMeSport also reported that the Red Devils were keen on the youngster, and that the forward was willing to switch to Old Trafford.
While United fans have been disappointed that bitter rivals Liverpool secured the services of Gakpo, Neville is not that bothered.
The former Manchester United defender believes that Ten Hag needs to sign a striker and not a wide forward.
Gakpo is a versatile attacking player who is better off playing out wide, although he can operate down the middle too.
After Neville gave his reasons why he is not bothered that United missed out on Gakpo, Sky Sports presenter Kelly Cates sarcastically asked whether he wanted him while the Red Devils were chasing the forward.
Gary Neville on Manchester United missing out on Cody Gakpo to Liverpool
Neville said about Gakpo, as transcribed by The Liverpool Echo: “I watched him at the World Cup two or three times, live, and I didn’t think he was somebody United did need.
“I know a lot of Manchester United fans have been disappointed, but with Rashford, Garnacho, Sancho and Antony on the left – and you could put Martial in that as well- Jurgen Klopp said himself his [Gakpo] best position is off that left side.
“From that point of view, I think Liverpool do need him with the injury problems they have got and I wasn’t as disappointed as a United fan that they didn’t get him, having watched him in the World Cup because I thought he was very similar to the players they [Manchester United] had.”
Sky Sports presenter Kelly Cates questioned: “Did you want him when they were in for him?”
Laughing off Cates’s comments, Neville joked: “Once Manchester United chose not to pursue Cody Gakpo…
“I mean, look, you can accumulate players and you want to buy new players all the time but Manchester United need a centre-forward and he’s not the centre-forward of the style Manchester United need at the moment.”
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