MY ACCOUNT
Cody Gakpo looks set to be the next highly-rated talent to swap the Eredivisie for the Premier League.
Ralf Rangnick has reportedly told his bosses at Manchester United to go after the winger, while Arsenal and neighbours Manchester City have also been linked with a move.
Gakpo’s PSV Eindhoven play Heracles on Sunday with the Manchester derby taking place later on at the Etihad.
Is the 22-year-old ace ready for the English top flight and where might he end up?
Ripping it up for PSV
The left winger is enjoying a stunning season for PSV with 13 goals and 13 assists in all competitions already.
Rapid with the ball at his feet, Gakpo can play anywhere across the front line and looks ready-made for one of the Premier League’s big boys.
Centre-back and team-mate Armando Obispo hailed the 22-year-old Dutch international’s displays this term.
Obispo recently said: “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.”
Premier League interest
Unsurprisingly, there has been interest from all over the continent — especially the Premier League.
Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United have all been linked with Gakpo at various stages.
In January, technical director John de Jong said: “The interest started early in the season, when he performed well, also with the Dutch national team.
“I don’t know how long we can keep him out of the hands of the big clubs in Europe. How he performs is the most important thing.”
Eredivisie reservations
Producing the goods in the Dutch top flight is not necessarily a precursor to performing well in England, though.
Red Devils fans know that first-hand with Donny van de Beek failing to take flight at Old Trafford and Memphis Depay never living up to the hype.
Yet others such as Robin van Persie, Christian Eriksen and Luis Suarez were bonafide successes when they moved.
Former PSV and Ajax midfielder Kenneth Perez is confident Gakpo would be far more threatening in the top flight than his countryman Depay was.
Perez said: “He scores a lot more goals. He has power, speed, vision and skill. I think he is a super interesting player.”
What’s next?
Rangnick may have told United to go after Gakpo in the summer — but is he really what they need?
Jadon Sancho has shown glimpses of his best form in recent weeks, while Marcus Rashford has always preferred playing off the left flank.
The United squad is certainly in need of some attention, just not necessarily in the wide areas going forward.
It appears unlikely that Liverpool would make a move having secured Luis Diaz’s signature in January but both Arsenal and City may prove sensible landing spots.
Pep Guardiola has brought the best out of many wingers at City, including Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal revival means the Emirates would become an attractive move again should they secure a top-four spot.
Whether it is this summer or not, Gakpo has the look of a player we will be seeing a lot more of in the coming years.
