Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has made a public attempt to convince his compatriot Cody Gakpo to turn down Manchester City. Gakpo’s future at Anfield has been subject to speculation in recent weeks with the Reds reportedly open to selling him for the right price.
David Ornstein revealed on Saturday, August 29, that the Dutchman has agreed to a move to Manchester City. He has reportedly chosen the Cityzens ahead of Tottenham Hotspur with Bradley Barcola set to join the Reds.
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Manchester City are reportedly ready to shell out £85 million for the 27-year-old’s signature. Now, Virgil van Dijk has made a desperate attempt to ensure that Gakpo remains at Liverpool beyond the transfer deadline on Tuesday, September 1. The Reds skipper said, as quoted by GOAL:
“He’s a quality player and I think we should keep quality players, but let’s see what the next three days bring. Obviously it’s pretty clear that I want him to stay, not only because he is the quality player that he is, but also he’s a friend of mine and I think he will be very important for us.”
Cody Gakpo has started both games for Liverpool this season under new manager Andoni Iraola, despite his future hanging in the balance. The Dutchman scored against Newcastle United in a 2-2 draw in their season opener and provided an assist in their 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest.
Gakpo joined the Merseyside giants back in January 2023 from PSV Eindhoven in a deal worth a reported £35 million, rising to £44–£45 million. He has made 182 appearances for the club to date, scoring 51 times while providing 24 assists.
Former Manchester City star urges compatriot to turn down a move to Liverpool
Former Arsenal and Manchester City full-back Bacary Sagna has urged Bradley Barcola not to join Liverpool. The fleet-footed French winger looks set for a move to Anfield in a deal worth £120 million with add-ons from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
However, Bacary Sagna has claimed that joining the Reds won’t be the right career choice for his compatriot. He believes that the Reds could struggle this season under new manager Andoni Iraola after an underwhelming season last time out. He said:
“Well, Liverpool didn’t have the best season last year, for different reasons of course. For him, to join the team now, I don’t think it would be a good career choice, especially after winning so much with Paris.”
The former Manchester City right-back added:
“Liverpool is one of the most important and respected English clubs. To play for them is something special. But the team seems to be a bit sick and recovering from the last season they had. They will get back to their best but I’m not sure a move right now is the best one for Barcola.”
Barcola moved to PSG from his boyhood club Lyon in 2023 and won everything at the French capital club. He made 152 appearances for Les Parisiens, scoring 39 goals and providing 37 assists. He won 13 trophies during his time at the Parc des Princes, including two UEFA Champions Leagues.
Edited by Snehanjan Banerjee