Cody Gakpo: Liverpool's Future or Transfer Asset?
Cody Gakpo had just ripped through Sweden, twice, when the question came. How does this version of him – sharp, liberated, decisive in Oranje – compare with the one Liverpool see every week?
“A good question. Obviously it's a little bit different,” he said. Different how? He started to explain. “It's different where the coach wants me to be, the freedom that I have,” he added, then stopped himself. Enough said.
That pause hangs over his club future as much as his international form.
A left side suddenly crowded
Gakpo’s two World Cup goals arrived in the same week Liverpool moved decisively in his area of the pitch. Victor Munoz, another left-sided winger, has joined from Osasuna for £34.5m. The club are also pushing hard for Yan Diomande, the 19‑year‑old RB Leipzig forward valued at £86m, who can operate on either flank.
Two potential signings, both comfortable in Gakpo’s corridor. The message is clear: Liverpool’s attack is being rebuilt, and no one’s place is sacred.
On paper, Gakpo starts from a position of strength. Under Arne Slot in the 2024-25 title-winning season, he delivered 18 goals and seven assists in 49 games in all competitions. That return earned him a long-term contract last summer, a deal he was delighted to sign.
Then came last season. Three more appearances, but only nine goals and six assists. The entire Liverpool attack laboured; he was not alone in falling below previous standards. He will know, though, that those numbers do not protect a forward when a new head coach and a new recruitment cycle arrive.
Chemistry on the flank – and a key partnership
Gakpo has always been clear about his preference: he wants that left channel. Cutting in, driving at defenders, arriving late at the back post – the very pattern that produced his second goal against Sweden, a familiar right-footed finish after stepping in from the wing.
At Liverpool, that left side is still a work in progress. The 2025-26 campaign exposed the growing pains of his relationship with Milos Kerkez. The Hungarian full-back loves to overlap, to charge beyond the winger, but the timing and angles between the two often misfired. Runs went unnoticed, spaces weren’t fully used.
Their understanding did improve as the season wore on. Now Kerkez is back under the guidance of his former Bournemouth manager, Andoni Iraola, who has been tasked with accelerating his development at Anfield. A more confident, more assertive Kerkez could open lanes and combinations that suit Gakpo perfectly.
That, at least, is the optimistic version of the story.
A proven scorer, a shifting attack
Strip away the noise and Gakpo’s body of work at Liverpool still carries weight. Fifty goals in 180 appearances. Only one other Dutchman, Dirk Kuyt, has reached a half-century for the club. When fit, Gakpo has usually been in the starting XI, trusted to deliver across multiple roles.
Inside Anfield, he is still viewed as a proven Premier League attacker, someone who can adapt to different tactical demands. With Hugo Ekitike facing a long absence – potentially until 2027 – after rupturing his Achilles, Gakpo’s ability to play centrally as well as off the left becomes even more valuable for Iraola.
Yet the rebuild will not stop for sentiment. Mohamed Salah has gone, and at least one more attacking signing is expected this summer. The chase for Diomande is intensifying. Rio Ngumoha, the gifted teenager, is being lined up for a bigger role. Florian Wirtz, who occasionally operated from the left last season and is doing the same for Germany at this World Cup, adds another layer of complexity.
How Iraola positions Wirtz in his system could be pivotal. If the German becomes the preferred option drifting in from the left, Gakpo’s path narrows. If Wirtz is used centrally or on the right, the Dutchman’s route back to being a nailed-on starter looks clearer.
Competition – catalyst or crossroads?
Gakpo has been here before. When Luis Diaz arrived, the competition seemed fierce, yet Gakpo’s game often sharpened under pressure. He responded, raised his output, and carved out his place.
This summer feels different. For the first time since he arrived from PSV Eindhoven in December 2022 for an initial £35m, a departure is a realistic scenario rather than a distant theory. Several clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, are monitoring his situation. Any deal would likely start above £60m – a sizeable profit for Liverpool and a significant statement for any buyer.
His display against Sweden reminded everyone why that kind of fee is on the table. The first goal, a straightforward tap-in at the back post, showcased his knack for arriving in scoring positions. The second, that signature move inside from the left before drilling home, underlined the blend of power and precision that made him such an attractive signing in the first place.
While Alexander Isak, his Liverpool team-mate at club level, failed to score on the night, Gakpo seized the stage.
Leader for club and country
Around the Dutch camp, the talk is of a tight, focused squad. After a bruising domestic season, Gakpo has opened this World Cup campaign with purpose. His record on the biggest stage backs that up: five goals in seven World Cup games across the 2022 and current tournaments.
Zoom out to his entire international career and the numbers stay impressive: 23 goals in 52 caps since his debut five years ago. That is not the profile of a fringe player. It is the profile of a forward who delivers.
His influence stretches beyond the pitch. Within the Netherlands squad, he has become a spiritual anchor. “Cody is our pastor – he leads the prayers,” said Crysencio Summerville, a glimpse into the respect he commands in the dressing room.
On the field, Virgil van Dijk needs no convincing. “He is an outstanding footballer,” the Netherlands and Liverpool captain said after the 5-1 win over Sweden. “He works so hard for the team, he's disciplined and his quality stands out – his crosses, his assists, his goals.”
When your club captain talks like that, it carries weight in any internal debate.
The summer question Liverpool cannot ignore
For now, Gakpo’s gaze is fixed on the World Cup. Every run, every goal, every performance adds another layer to the conversation waiting for him back on Merseyside.
Liverpool’s hierarchy know how hard it can be for new attackers to adjust. Isak and Wirtz both endured uneven debut seasons at Anfield, stark reminders that price tags and potential do not guarantee instant impact. Against that backdrop, the value of a forward who already understands the club, the league, and the pressure cannot be dismissed lightly.
Yet Iraola has been hired to reshape an attack that stalled last season. New faces are coming. Roles will shift. Some established names will move on.
And somewhere in the middle of that storm sits the Gakpo conundrum: is he the cornerstone of Liverpool’s next front line, or the asset that funds it?
