Gakpo Opens Up on Shock Man City Move That Nearly Tore Him Away From Liverpool—And Why Staying Changed Everything

"It ended how it ended," was Cody Gakpo's take on a summer that saw him come within touching distance of departing Liverpool for Manchester City.

Gakpo appeared destined to be the odd one out at Liverpool, with the club prepared to offload him as they began reshaping their squad following Mohamed Salah's departure. Tottenham Hotspur showed interest, but it was City who tabled an offer reportedly valued at £80 million ($106 million), only for Liverpool to have second thoughts after initially being open to a sale when attempts to sign Yankuba Minteh or Ismaïla Sarr hit a wall.

By that stage, Gakpo had already contributed a goal and an assist across his opening two Premier League outings of the campaign. He remained at the club and has since added another goal and three further assists across all competitions. The Dutch forward also netted a crucial late UEFA Nations League equalizer for his country against Germany on Friday, having spoken to the media ahead of the fixture.

Gakpo told The Times that it "doesn't make any sense" to dwell on the events of the summer. On a personal note, he and his wife, Noa van der Bij, also endured the heartbreak of losing their unborn son during pregnancy. Channeling his energy into football has given him something to hold onto.

"It was a tough summer for me and my family, with everything surrounding football and life," the winger said. "I just let things unfold and it ended how it ended. I had no control over it. So I had to focus on doing what I do best, and that's playing football. I could have spent all my time worrying about what might happen, or what didn't happen, but that wouldn't have changed anything.

"It's a long story. The summer was really hard in every sense. So I just let everything play out and see where it led, and it worked out the way it did.

"Some things are beyond our control, and we have to make the most of what we can influence. That's all I can do. I just want to enjoy my life with my family and friends, and enjoy playing football with my teammates [with the Netherlands] and at the club." 

It's a remarkably composed and grounded perspective. Gakpo also acknowledged that the criticism he faced following the 2025–26 season comes with the territory of representing Liverpool, and admitted he knew he "could do much better" than he had during that campaign.

Gakpo Becomes Unexpected Salah Replacement

One thing that has become apparent in the opening weeks of the new campaign is that manager Andoni Iraola is having to work out his ideal attacking lineup as the season progresses.

Alexander Isak's place as the first-choice No. 9 is beyond doubt. The Swedish striker has registered four Premier League goals from five appearances this term, already surpassing his total from the entirety of 2025–26. The fact that Huo Ekitiké remains sidelined with a long-term Achilles injury only further cements Isak's hold on the role. The right wing, however, has been a far more unsettled picture.

Iraola deployed three different players in that position across the first four fixtures against Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town and Atlético Madrid—Rio Ngumoha, Gakpo, Víctor Muñoz and Bradley Barcola respectively.

Iraola appeared to believe Muñoz could be the answer, until the Spaniard struggled to leave his mark in back-to-back Premier League starts against Ipswich and Fulham. Gakpo came on to replace him against Fulham and retained his spot for the clash with Bournemouth just before the international break.

Gakpo has proven to be the best fit and most effective option in that role so far, and it may well earn him an extended run on the flank that Salah dominated for nine years. The flip side is that his natural position on the left has now been claimed by Barcola, who arrived for a near club-record fee from Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcola was short of match sharpness upon his arrival, having been frozen out of PSG's plans by Luis Enrique while his future remained unresolved. The Frenchman was introduced from the bench on his debut against Ipswich in early September but has since started all three of Liverpool's Premier League and Champions League matches.

There is little reason for Iraola to stop selecting Gakpo on the right, though it is becoming increasingly evident that this may also be his only realistic path to a regular starting berth this season.