Reports are growing suggesting that exciting PSV attacker Cody Gakpo could be on the move this summer. He’s been one of the Eredivisie’s standout players this season, scoring 16 goals while registering a further 15 assists.
His goal contributions plus the high standard of his performances have attracted the interest of many top European sides, although interest cooled at the beginning of the year when the 22-year-old opted to sign a new deal with the Dutch side until 2026. Although that initially deterred some interested parties, there’s now a growing school of thought that perhaps the deal was signed in order to guarantee a better transfer fee for PSV who it’s believed could still be open to selling the forward this summer.
Manchester United are of course going to be in the market for at least one new forward as they look to replace Edinson Cavani when his contract expires. They’re also going to be looking for a long-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo who is expected to leave next year at the conclusion of his own current deal.
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Gakpo might not be an obvious direct replacement for either of those two based on his playing style and profile. However, he’s still a very exciting attacker who should certainly be on United’s radar.
In terms of that profile, Gakpo’s is rather unique for a player who predominantly plays as a wide attacker. He’s tall and stands at an imposing six-foot-two-inches.
This aids him in terms of his speed and he’s able to take big powerful strides with the ball at his feet. He is also very skilful, averaging over 8.3 dribbles per 90 this season with a success rate of over 50 per cent.
For comparison, Marcus Rashford has averaged the most Premier League dribbles at United this season. Though his per 90 average (5.81) is noticeably lower than Gakpo’s, as his success rate (44 per cent).
Gakpo usually lines up on the left within Roger Schmidt’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, despite being right-footed. The benefit of this is that he can use his standout pace and skill to drive at defenders before chopping inside and unleashing shots at goal or threading passes into attacking teammates.
That’s a big reason why he has such a standout return in terms of goals and assists - his success for PSV this season has been a direct thorn in the side of the rest of the Eredivisie, most notably for Ajax who are battling with Gakpo’s side for the league title. Ajax’s manager is of course Erik Ten Hag who we know is being considered for the Manchester United job.
Therefore somewhat invertedly, the level of Gakpo’s performances this season could play a part in him one day coming to Old Trafford. While rivals right now, there’s little doubt that Ten Hag would have been impressed by the PSV captain’s form, and having watched him closely this year, it’s more than possible that the managerial target could play a big role in pushing the club to make a move for the 22-year-old should he join United this summer.
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