Cody Gakpo has shared his thoughts for the first time on a summer filled with ups and downs, where a potential transfer from Liverpool to Manchester City did not materialise.
The Dutch winger described this phase as particularly challenging, not just within the confines of football, but also for his personal life.
£80 million offer from Manchester City
Manchester City made an £80 million bid for Gakpo late in the summer transfer window. At that point, Liverpool were reportedly open to selling him as manager Anthony Iraola looked to restructure his attacking options following Mohamed Salah's departure.
While Liverpool explored other targets such as Yankuba Minte and Ismaila Sarr to shore up their flanks, they eventually signed Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola instead.
Ultimately, Gakpo remained at Liverpool as the transfer didn't materialise.
The summer was incredibly tough
In an interview with The Telegraph, Gakpo candidly mentioned that the summer proved to be exceedingly difficult for both him and his family.
“I don’t know if you want to talk about this in detail, but there’s no point in discussing it. It was a tough summer for me, my family, and everything surrounding football and life. I just let everything happen and in the end, it turned out as it did.”
He further elaborated:
“It’s a very long story. The summer was difficult in all respects. I just allowed everything to settle in my mind and saw how things would evolve. Now everything is as it is. I just want to enjoy life with my family and friends, as well as football with my teammates and club.”
Weeks before the news of the potential move to Manchester City emerged, Gakpo and his partner Noya van der Beek announced the tragic loss of their unborn son, Elijah Raphael, during pregnancy.
Gakpo admits he could have played better
The Netherlands international also addressed the criticism directed at him following last season.
“When you play for a big club like Liverpool, you need to deliver results. I don’t want to talk about others or other players, but I know I could have performed much better than I did last year.”
However, Gakpo refrained from outright dismissing the criticism as unfair:
“I don’t know if the criticism was unjust. Maybe it was, but in a way, I understand it. At Liverpool, winning is essential, proving you’re part of one of the best clubs in the world. Last year, we didn’t achieve that, myself included. That’s just how it turned out.”
