Cody Gakpo once again impressed during pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich and can reach new heights at Liverpool.
For a stunt that has become a staple part of Cody Gakpo’s game since moving to Liverpool eight months ago, Bayern Munich were caught rather surprised by the Dutchman.
Not even two minutes had gone in Liverpool’s final pre-season outing of their 2023 tour of Singapore and Gakpo, fresh from picking the ball up inside his own half, was charging down on Yann Sommer’s goal after a slick one-two with Diogo Jota.
After one touch to caress the ball and a further one to steady himself, Gakpo unleashed a sublime weak-footed strike past Sommer to hand Liverpool the lead against the Bundesliga champions. It was a lightning-quick, back-to-front sequence that began with the 23-year-old receiving the ball in a deep central area, which has become an all too familiar sight for Kopties since his move from PSV Eindhoven.
For the £37 million January recruit, it was his second goal of pre-season but also his latest eye-catching outing that certainly puts him in strong contention for a starting berth at Stamford Bridge next weekend.
Although Jurgen Klopp’s side would later succumb to a 4-3 defeat at the Singapore National Stadium as late goals from Josip Stanisic and Frans Kratzig secured an impressive turnaround for Bayern Munich, Liverpool will embark on their return to Merseyside on Wednesday evening knowing their goal-scoring ranks stand in fine stead ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
For Gakpo, aside from his excellent early strike, Wednesday’s outing underlined his status as one of the fundamental, and arguably undroppable, components of Liverpool’s squad. In fact, such an elite-level status at Anfield can only be boasted by players like Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
That ranking represents a significant difference from the feeling that met his arrival on Merseyside eight months ago after then-sporting director Julian Ward had utilised the festive period to thrash out a deal with his Dutch counterparts at PSV. In fact, the sight of Gakpo posing in Liverpool red for the first time was met with a fair amount of perplexity by some quarters of the fanbase given Klopp’s side had been crying out for midfield reinforcements for the best part of two-and-a-half years.
However, his latest showing in Singapore – not for the first time in the fledgling stages of his Liverpool career – will have left Bayern Munich and other heavyweights of the European game clenching their fists in frustration.
At a time when the Bundesliga champions are looking to right the wrongs of a first season in nine years without Robert Lewandowski by striking a deal for Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, which, if finalised, is expected to cost in the excess of £90m, Gakpo’s excellence at both leading the line and operating out of possession cannot be understated.
Though even with the apparent impasse in negotiations with the North London outfit, Thomas Tuchel’s side, who also saw their attacking ranks weakened by the departure of Sadio Mane earlier this week, still managed to tally four goals past Alisson Becker.
However, after the questionable officiating that overlooked Wednesday’s game – mainly for Bayern’s first and fourth goals – and Liverpool’s obvious teething problems as their defenders continue to get up to speed with the requirements of their new-look 3-2-2-3 formation, the 4-3 victory certainly holds no danger of persuading Tuchel to cease his long-standing pursuit of Kane.
Having said that, the 2020 Champions League winners are not the only side who will be left to lament Ward’s masterstroke and final notable act as Liverpool’s transfer chief. Of course, such efficiency led to the Reds besting Manchester United in the race to land Gakpo, who, as a fellow Dutchman, Erik Ten Hag had been a main admirer of.
As a result, United’s search for a focal point of their attack has led them to agree to a £72m fee with Atalanta for 20-year-old Rasmus Højlund. His imminent move to Old Trafford comes after stop-gap solution Wout Weghorst fired blank in his 17 Premier League outings last term while on loan from Championship side Burnley.
Meanwhile, back in Singapore, Gakpo’s first-half performance was further complemented by an equally as impressive cameo on the left side of midfield in the second half, shortly before he was replaced by 18-year-old Bobby Clark.
played in midfield a few times last season already,” said Gakpo, speaking to the ECHO in the Far East earlier this week. “I just have to see what’s going to happen, if I maybe play in the midfield or in the striker position or somewhere else. There are multiple options. Do I have a preference? Just to play!”
Bayern Munich would have been understood for being relieved to see the back of Liverpool’s No.18 when he was withdrawn on 61 minutes. That would, however, stand true if his impending exit wasn’t supplemented by the introductions of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez shortly after half time.
On that basis, it’s fair to say Liverpool’s arsenal is well-stocked ahead of next week’s Premier League get-go
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