Goodbye Gakpo, what Klopp had to say about his run without scoring

Gakpo still failed to score, out of 12 shots taken, three of them on target

28/01/2023, 04:22 PM +00:00

After impressing during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he made five appearances, leading the Orange to the quarter-finals with three goals, Cody Gakpo signed for the Reds last month from PSV Eindhoven for a fee in excess of €42 million. From the start of last season until his departure, no player had been involved in more Eredivisie goals than Gakpo (46 - 21 goals, 25 assists). Furthermore, no one in Europe's top 10 leagues had at least 20 goals and 20 assists in the same period.

However, after four games - all starts - for Liverpool, Gakpo still failed to score, out of 12 shots taken, three of them on target, nor did he assist any goals and only touched the ball 18 times in the opposition box. That is why, faced with so much media pressure, Liverpool recently made a coup with the signing of the jewel of the Netherlands Cody Gakpo, who arrived at Anfield for a figure close to 50 million, being the subject of debate for many fans and specialists, who have pointed out that Gakpo still fails to demonstrate the talent and class he had at PSV in the Eredivisie.

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During the game between Manchester City and Arsenal in the FA Cup, former Liverpool player José Enrique criticised the board for not signing Leandro Trossard and choosing Gakpo, as he believes that the Belgian player has a better reputation than the Dutchman, who cost an insane amount for his premature age. Trossard, 28, settled in well with Arteta, as he already knew the Premier League with Brighton.

Gakpo would not play against Brighton

While everyone is criticising Gakpo, Jurgen Klopp came out to defend him although he hinted that he would not feature in Sunday's game against Brighton: "His defending in his position is outstanding. It's what we need. He is a sensational finisher. His shooting from distance is outstanding. Everyone will see that. Coming in as a striker in our current situation? Congratulations. He is fine.