Gakpo misses Liverpool's Brentford clash with paperwork not finished
Cody Gakpo will have to wait for his Liverpool debut as Jurgen Klopp doesn’t include new £45m star in squad for Brentford trip – with Dutch forward now likely to make his bow in FA Cup third-round clash with Wolves
- Liverpool’s new £45m signing Cody Gakpo missed out on their Brentford clash
- Jurgen Klopp moved quickly to beat Manchester United to Gakpo’s signature
- Gakpo will now be hoping to make his debut in the FA Cup clash against Wolves
Liverpool’s new £45million signing Cody Gakpo was not involved in their trip to Brentford on Monday night.
Gakpo joined the Reds from PSV this month after Jurgen Klopp’s side pulled off an upset to hijack the deal from rivals Manchester United – and Holland’s World Cup star has been preparing to make his debut.
But the 23-year-old will now have to wait to make his bow after his new German boss failed to name him in the squad. He will be hoping to make his first appearance in the club’s FA Cup third-round tie against Wolves on Saturday night.
Cody Gakpo was not included in Liverpool’s squad to face Brentford on Monday
Jurgen Klopp moved quickly to get his man but he was forced to wait for his debut
Gakpo came close to joining Man United last summer before the move fell apart, and the player put himself in the shop window again during his stint with Holland in Qatar, where he scored three times as he led his side to the quarter-finals.
Liverpool moved quickly to get the deal done ahead of their rivals, with the player penning a five-and-a-half-year deal at Anfield.
After his move was confirmed last week, Gakpo told the club: ‘I feel really good, I’m really excited to be here. I’m looking forward to start training and start playing for this amazing club.
‘I think for me personally it’s also good to develop here and there’s a lot of great players here [who] I can learn a lot of things from.’
Gakpo scored three goals for the Dutch team during their World Cup campaign in Qatar
He added: ‘I’m really looking forward to [playing at Anfield]. I heard a lot of great stories about the stadium, about the atmosphere. I cannot wait.
‘Obviously [my aim is] to win as many prizes as we can as a team, to perform well, to show the world what we can do as a team and what I can do as a player. And personally, just to keep developing and become a better player every season.
‘I’m really thankful that everybody is giving me such a warm welcome and I’m really looking forward to seeing everybody in the stadium and around the city.’
The forward has been in scintillating form for his domestic side this year and has already contributed nine goals and 12 assists from 14 Eredivisie matches this term.
The winger will now be hoping to feature in the club’s FA Cup third round clash against Wolves
The 23-year-old’s signing comes amid concerns over Luis Diaz’s injury – following his knee surgery – while Darwin Nunez is struggling to find his rhythm up-front.
On Boxing Day, PSV confirmed in a statement that a club-record deal had been struck between the two sides for Gakpo’s move.
Liverpool confirmed the move last week, with a statement reading: ‘The 23-year-old forward will officially become a Reds player at the start of the January transfer window after agreeing personal terms and successfully completing a medical at the AXA Training Centre.’
Share this article
Source: Read Full Article