Liverpool have been told that Cody Gakpo would not get into their starting lineup amid reports linking the Reds with a move for the Netherlands international.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have suffered with injuries all season and two key players in the form of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz have been sidelined for the long-term - with the latter now out until March. As a result, the Reds have been backed to find a replacement in the January transfer window.
However, club legend John Barnes believes that, despite Gakpo’s obvious quality and remarkable goal involvement record, he would struggle to solidify a regular starting spot in Liverpool ’s current side.
Speaking to BonusCodeBets, Barnes said: “A lot of top clubs will be interested in Cody Gakpo because he played amazing for the Netherlands during the World Cup. Gakpo needs to decide if he wants to play regularly when choosing a new club.
“Because if he joins Liverpool he will not be able to get into the starting eleven. There are a lot of good players in that position in Liverpool so he would only be a squad player.
“So, it really depends on what Gakpo wants. Not many clubs have the same attacking strength that Liverpool has and he needs to consider if he wants to play week in week out or sit on the bench.”
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The 59-year-old’s comments may come as a surprise considering Gakpo recorded 21 goals and 15 assists in all competitions for PSV last season. On top of that, the 23-year-old already has 13 goals and 17 assists at the halfway stage of the current campaign.
Then there is the matter of his impressive World Cup campaign with the Netherlands, in which he scored in three consecutive group stage games to help Louis van Gaal’s side advance to the knockout stages as Group A winners.
However, Barnes feels that Liverpool already have the perfect replacement for Diaz for the remainder of the season in Jota, despite the former Wolves man having his own injury woes as he recovers from a long-term calf injury which ruled him out of Portugal's World Cup campaign.
Barnes said: “We need to remember that Liverpool also has Diogo Jota and a lot of other players that can play that position.
“So, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Liverpool has to buy a new player. Jota was a key player and now he is not even being mentioned anymore.
“Jota is a fantastic player and he can play that role very well. We also have Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliot that can fill the gap. We have enough coverage on that position, so Liverpool should not try to get a new player.”
