Liverpool fans are excited at the prospect of climbing up the table and into the top four in the second phase of the season and that excitement has been boosted by the arrival of a new signing.
Cody Gakpo joined the club on a transfer from PSV Eindhoven at the end of December and fans have been enjoying footage of him meeting Jurgen Klopp and other members of staff at the Melwood training facility in Liverpool.
The Reds are in action on Monday evening against Thomas Frank’s Brentford and the question on every fans lips is whether the Gakpo will be in action.
Jurgen Klopp has hinted that Gakpo won’t be thrown straight into the team, but he is available after his transfer was formally completed on New Year’s Day.
In terms of where the Dutchman could fit in, Klopp said: “The position he has played most often is on the left, that is clear. But he can play all four positions up front if you play a 4-2-3-1 and is still very young. The position he probably prefers he can play is on the left of a 4-3-3.
“He’s a really, really good player so the package is really interesting. That’s why we were very interested to get him in and I’m really happy we could do it.”
The left flank is where you’d perhaps expect to see Gakpo come into the team, given Mohamed Salah operates on the right and Darwin Nunez through the middle. There is scope for the Uruguayan to drift wide left, however, potentially seeing Gakpo look to get at defences in a more central role.
The 23-year-old forward has been at PSV for his entire career, playing through every age group. From Under-17 through to the first team, Gakpo made 222 appearances for the Dutch club.
Just counting the first team, Gakpo has 159 times and scored 55 times. That is a superb goal return, but what makes him an even more important signing is his 50 assists. Considering Liverpool have so many different players who can put the ball in the net, adding a player like Gakpo who can score and provide could be vital.
Liverpool are currently outside of the top four after an indifferent start to the 2022/23 season, but by adding Gakpo to the squad, they could start to put serious pressure on the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United ahead of them.
Gakpo has made 15 appearances for the Netherlands first team and was a key player at the 2022 Qatar World Cup as Ons Oranje made it to the quarter-finals. He scored three goals in five games in Qatar.
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