Cody Gakpo joined Liverpool in January 2021 as an intriguing signing, with the potential to bring strong long-term benefits to the club. He had an impressive half-season with former club PSV, scoring nine times and assisting 12 in 14 Eredivisie games, plus three goals in the Europa League group stage, and was selected for a starting role in the Netherlands World Cup squad.
Gakpo was signed for a fee of £35 million, which could prove to be a bargain in time. After five months, it is too early to form a full assessment of his performance, but it is possible to form an early opinion.
Gakpo was put straight into the centre of attack, shifted Darwin Nunez left and began the Roberto Firmino-fication of Gakpo with immediate effect. He has shown flashes of his link play with one or two teammates, and his ability to take the ball on the half turn and surge 20 metres or more has been a key trait. He has scored seven goals in 21 Premier League appearances, and seven in 26 games in all competitions.
Gakpo needs to become a player who the team can look to when things aren’t going well, when games need a leader and a shift in momentum. He hasn’t been capable of this yet, but with a better understanding and a better midfield base behind them, Gakpo could be one of the biggest beneficiaries. He is likely to be Klopp’s go-to man in the middle of the attack, and is expected to be a regular starter next season. His best moment so far has been scoring the first and third goals in a club record win over rivals Manchester United at Anfield, while his worst moment was his league debut for Liverpool, losing 3-0 at Brighton.