Liverpool icon Carragher names three reasons he is ‘baffled’ by Gakpo

Klopp comments on Liverpool's struggles this season

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Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has questioned the decision to sign Cody Gakpo last month as the Reds’ only January acquisition. Jurgen Klopp’s outfit moved quickly to sign the Netherlands forward after the 23-year-old’s stunning World Cup campaign, as they hijacked Manchester United to the initial £37million signing from PSV.

Gakpo, however, has had an underwhelming start to life at Anfield despite being thrust into a starting position while Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz have been absent through injuries. In his six games, Gakpo is yet to get on the scoresheet and during that time Liverpool have failed to get a win on the board.

Carragher questioned the idea behind signing Gakpo at a time when the club’s midfield was in dire need of reinforcements, Jota and Diaz were on their way back and the Dutchman does not appear to be a player suited to Klopp’s demands. He did back the club’s owners Fenway Sports Group, however, as Liverpool failed to secure a midfielder outside of Arthur Melo’s loan last summer.

“In attack, Diaz started his Liverpool brilliantly but [Darwin] Nunez is a work in progress, and I am baffled watching Gakpo’s early performances,” Carragher wrote in The Telegraph. Gakpo is not a typical Klopp signing, lacking lightning pace and the capacity to lead a high press.

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“Why commit up to £45 million on someone who will be on the bench when Diaz and Diogo Jota are fit? Especially when another area of the team needed strengthening? Since the summer of 2022, Liverpool have committed £180 million on four attackers in Luis Diaz, Fabio Carvalho, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo. Liverpool’s owners did not fail to invest. They failed to invest in a midfielder. Now they need a new midfield.

“Liverpool wanted to sign one in Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco, knowing his market value was £75 million. When Tchouameni chose Real Madrid, the money was there if Klopp wanted an alternative, but he opted to wait until 2023, hoping he will lure Jude Bellingham. That was Klopp’s call, not owner John W. Henry’s.”

Carragher is not the only person questioning the transfer, as new Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has claimed that the move came too early for Gakpo. “He has ended up in a team that is not doing well,” Koeman said.

“If you don’t score or you’re not important and you don’t win any matches, it’s very difficult, especially for a young player. If that was someone aged 28, with experience, it would be different.

“The level in England is higher than in the Netherlands. But they are also young boys, aren’t they? Like [Ryan] Gravenberch going to Bayern [Munich] and not playing. Then that is difficult.”

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