Despite all the transfer narratives linking Cody Gakpo to Manchester United, the Dutchman has admitted that he’s actually had no contact from the giant club.
That said, the PSV Eindhoven and Netherlands striker revealed that he is open to the idea of moving to Old Trafford, should they actually pursue.
By saying he’ll answer the phone, should they call him, Gakpo is basically telling MUFC that the ball is in their court. The comments were part of an interview he did with Dutch newspaper NRC where he opened up on the summer transfer window rumor mill.
“That was a tough period,” the 23-yard-old, who has been with PSV since 2016 (the senior team since 2018) said.
“I learned from that. I’m going to do it differently. What comes, that comes. Suppose you want to go from RKC (Waalwijk) to PSV, but that club is not coming. Then you can panic.”
Gakpo, who scored three goals int the first three games at World Cup, said he did receive a Premier League offer, but it came from Leeds United, not MUFC.
“I thought about Manchester United, but when that didn’t happen, I couldn’t remember,” he added.
“And I started to doubt. Leeds United did come. Should I go there? Now I wait everything. I haven’t heard from Manchester United yet. When they come, I’ll think about it.”
Cody Gakpo is reportedly at or near the top of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag’s wish list. With the Dutch connection, plus a newly opened roster spot in the attack, due to the Cristiano Ronaldo departure, this might actually happen in January.
Transfermarkt places his value at 45 million Euro. Having just defeated the United States in the round of 16, the Dutch will face Argentina in the quarterfinals this weekend.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.