fajar-ramadhan
Liverpool's skipper, Virgil van Dijk, has publicly expressed his desire for the club to retain Dutch forward Cody Gakpo, amidst growing interest from Premier League rivals Manchester City. With the transfer deadline looming on Tuesday, Gakpo's future at Anfield remains uncertain as City reportedly prepares a substantial bid for the 27-year-old.
The situation has been further complicated by the arrival of French star Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, who could join Liverpool for a fee potentially reaching $166m, making him the second-most expensive player in the history of the Premier League. Despite this, Gakpo, who has been pivotal in Liverpool's rise to prominence over the past three and a half years, scoring 51 goals and playing a key role in the club's 20th English top-flight title in the 2024-25 campaign, has been linked with a move away.
Gakpo has made a promising start to the current season, scoring one goal and providing an assist as Liverpool drew their opening two games 2-2 against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest under new manager Andoni Iraola. However, the club's openness to selling Gakpo has raised concerns among fans and teammates alike.
Van Dijk, a firm believer in Gakpo's ability and character, has made his stance clear. "He’s a quality player, and I think we should keep quality players, but let’s see what the next three days bring," he said. "Obviously, it’s pretty clear that I want him to stay, not only because he is the quality player that he is, but also [because] he’s a friend of mine, and I think he will be very important for us."
The arrival of Barcola, despite Liverpool's recent struggles, has been seen as a sign of the club's ambition to rebuild and compete at the highest level. However, Van Dijk remains confident that Liverpool will continue to attract the world's top players. "I think Liverpool are still one of the biggest clubs in the world. Obviously, we all know that we’re going through a transition, and you either want to be part of it, or you don’t. I’m part of it now," he added.
The Dutch international also acknowledged the challenges that Liverpool faces under Iraola, who replaced the sacked Arne Slot. "It takes some time, but obviously, we all want it to work as soon as possible and for 90 minutes," Van Dijk explained. "That’s now two games in a row we’ve had to fight back. Obviously, it’s a good sign that we fight back, but I think we can still do much better than what we have been showing."
Despite the defensive issues exposed by Newcastle and Forest, Liverpool has managed to claw back points in both matches, drawing 2-2. "We have to score more; we have to concede less," Van Dijk emphasized. "Nottingham Forest came here three times in the last three seasons and came away unbeaten, and that shouldn’t happen."
As the transfer window draws to a close, the fate of Gakpo remains in the balance. With City reportedly ready to pay around $101.6m for the Dutch forward, Liverpool faces a difficult decision. The club's desire to strengthen its squad and move forward could lead to the sale of Gakpo, despite the personal and professional ties that bind him to the Liverpool dressing room.
For now, however, Van Dijk's plea for Gakpo to stay serves as a testament to the player's importance to the club and his teammates. The coming days will likely determine whether the Dutch international's future lies at Anfield or with another club, but one thing is clear: the situation is one of the most closely watched transfer sagas of the summer.
Comments (0)