What could Cody Gakpo bring to Manchester United?

 

If you hadn’t heard of Cody Gakpo before this year’s FIFA World Cup – you almost certainly would have now. The 23-year-old superstar, who currently plies his trade at PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie, has been exceptional for the Netherlands at the sport’s preeminent tournament taking place in Qatar.

Scoring first for his country in every one of his group games, the six-foot-three-inch-tall winger has been a nightmare for every defence he has faced. His athleticism, strength on the ball, vision and finishing ability from anywhere in and around the 22-yard box is beyond impressive.

As a result of his form, he has been linked with various clubs in the Premier League and La Liga such as Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona and Real Madrid. And while all of the four aforementioned clubs are tempting destinations in their own right, it is Manchester United who, at the time of writing, many believe are the favourites to secure the signing of Gakpo.

There were already reports of Gakpo’s and Manchester United’s mutual interest prior to the World Cup – however – provided the form he has displayed in the Middle East – you would think the powers that be at Old Trafford will have to stump up at least a further £20 million than they were initially expecting if they’re to secure the services of the Dutch forward.

If we were to see Gakpo in a Red Devils shirt in 2023, how much of an impact would he have on Manchester United moving forward? In addition to the obvious, which is that he’d provide the Erik ten Hag-managed side an added world-class attacking threat – Gakpo would signal a new era for the famed club.

With the controversy surrounding United and its relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo dominating headlines for the past month – the club’s administrators need to instill confidence in their fans that they are heading in a positive direction – and the signing of Gakpo would provide that. With he, Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro all shining for their national teams in the Middle East, their combination for United could prove to be one of the scariest prospects in the Premier League.

Currently sitting as sixth favourites at 66/1 in the Premier League odds to win it all in 2022/23, expect that price to shorten considerably for next season if we are to see Gakpo in the Manchester United red and white.

While fans of the club can at this point in time dream of having Gakpo as part of their squad, he wouldn’t give anything away when pressed about his future, choosing to focus on his exploits with the Netherlands rather than where he will play next.

“I’m not thinking about that now (his future),” he said. “I’m just really focused on the tournament, trying to keep performing well and helping the team and hopefully when we become world champion then I can think about that (the future).

“I’m just trying to keep focused and the other players don’t really talk about those things which also helps me in this situation.”