Jurgen Klopp has quietly made his toughest signing for Liverpool to date

Jurgen Klopp has quietly made his toughest signing for Liverpool to date

Cody Gakpo has hinted he could be an integral part of Liverpool next season

Had Leeds United returned in September, the sight of Cody Gakpo tapping into an open net at Elland Road would have prompted a very different reaction from the traveling Kop on Monday night.

Leeds were one of several clubs to pursue the striker. Their interest went so far that director of football Victor Orta flew to Eindhoven to try to broker a deal with PSV on deadline day. But with the Dutch side playing hardball, the transfer was cut short as Leeds prepared to send Gakpo and his entourage to England.

A few months later, and the landscape had changed, Leeds were out of the picture as Manchester United, one of Gakpo’s other longtime admirers, considered accepting a move for a player who had shone for them.

Liverpool then struck, eventually agreeing a £44million deal for Gakpo over Christmas, which was confirmed on Boxing Day.

While it was surprising that no midfielder was signed in the January window – and we all know how this pursuit plays out – in terms of the sustainability of Liverpool’s attack, it seemed like a decision. smart, especially with Roberto Firmino approaching the end of his time at Anfield. Unfortunately for Gakpo, he was bowled against a Liverpool side and suffered an alarming drop in form after the World Cup, having to wait until his seventh cap to crack his goal duck in February’s 2-0 home derby win against Everton. too different from his touch on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross from the right on Monday.

Gakpo’s presence to put the finishing touches underlines the biggest change his game has undergone since arriving at Anfield. Having forged his reputation on the left wing at PSV, the 23-year-old has been deployed at the heart of the Reds’ attack, apart from two games against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With Firmino confirming his departure this summer, Jurgen Klopp has decided to prefer Gakpo in center and Darwin Nunez on left rather than the other way around. Certainly, the Dutchman is much closer to Firmino in his ability to sink deep and help midfield from that position, coupled with his defensive attributes. For these reasons, it has long been proven that the Brazilian is next to impossible to replace, whether within the squad or with a new signing. However, Gakpo sends the right signals.

“The top three players played because of the way they defended,” Klopp said as he explained his decision to put Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah at the top of Elland Road. “They (all Liverpool forwards) can play football, but we have to understand that’s where defense starts.

Indeed, Gakpo underlined the quality of him again when he ran from depth to defence, one of those volleys from a free-kick, the routine which saw Salah’s shot disallowed for marginal offside.

Firmino hasn’t completely disappeared, of course, as evidenced by his breakthrough cameo off the bench against Arsenal last weekend. Klopp could easily have chosen to recall the Brazilian based on that performance, but instead he stayed with Gakpo and the same starting lineup.

The Dutchman rewarded the Reds boss not only with his own goal, but also with an encouraging all-round performance. Firmino is probably the only other Liverpool striker who would have had the technique and vision to find Salah so quickly that he scored the fourth goal, Gakpo’s first direct assist as a Reds player.

Luis Diaz’s arrival on the bench – along with two goals apiece for Salah and Jota and one from substitute Nunez – has highlighted the competition for upfront places that Klopp hopes will propel Liverpool through the rest of the season and beyond.

“I think we have many options in the top three and I think it’s even better for us to show what you can do in every match,” said Gakpo. “At the end of the day you have to do it together. So I think if we combine forces we will have a good front three or six because we have a lot of options.”

Of course, there’s plenty of room for improvement in terms of goalscoring opportunities, especially away in the Premier League. Liverpool scored nearly half of their previous tally of 14 goals in 15 away games on Monday this season. This is why they are languishing in eighth place and not fighting for a place in the top four.

As an example of things not quite going well, no player has hit the woodwork more often this season in the Premier League than five-year-old Nunez.

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