Cody Gakpo is on the verge of a move to Liverpool but he will be forced to wait for his dream number upon his arrival from PSV Eindhoven.
The 23-year-old has captained Ruud van Nistelrooy's side since April 2021 and has quickly established himself as a key member of the Eredivisie outfit.
His stock rose during his exploits at the 2022 Qatar World Cup as he starred alongside Reds defender Virgil van Dijk - scoring three goals in five appearances until their penalty shootout exit to eventual winners Argentina.
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Gakpo looks set to arrive during a time when Jurgen Klopp's strikeforce is decimated by injuries. Roberto Firmino became the latest casualty after missing the Carabao Cup exit before he was absent from the win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
Luis Diaz was close to a comeback but suffered a setback in his recovery during their midseason trip to Dubai whilst Diogo Jota was sidelined for a lengthy period after coming off in the latter stages of their 1-0 win over Manchester City.
At PSV, Gakpo currently has the number 11 shirt joining an illustrious list of attackers for the Dutch giants after Arjen Robben and former-Red Boudewijn Zenden donned the shirt. However for Liverpool, Mohamed Salah has held that shirt number since his arrival from AS Roma and he will remain in that number for the foreseeable future following his contract extension.
The Egyptian will almost certainly be immortalised at Anfield after levelling Sir Kenny Dalglish in the all-time goalscorers list following his opener at Villa Park.
It remains to be seen what shirt number he will receive upon his arrival in the Premier League. During his formative years in Holland, he held squad numbers like the 19, held by Harvey Elliott at Liverpool, and 20, occupied by the injured Jota.
A player who came on during their 3-1 this week has been subject to speculation away from L4 is Naby Keita. The Guinean has been plagued with injuries and hasn't hit the heights following his big-money move from RB Leipzig.
Keita currently wears the number eight shirt, synonymous with Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard. Coincidentally, ahead of the World Cup, the 23-year-old was handed the same shirt number for Louis van Gaal's Holland.
AC Milan have been the latest team to be linked with the Reds midfielder as his contract edges towards expiry in 2023. With doubts over an extension at the six-time Champions League winners, a Liverpool departure for Keita could hand Gakpo the famous number eight shirt.
Available Liverpool squad numbers for Cody Gakpo:
10, 16, 18, 24, 25, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40.
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