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Liverpool have announced the official signing of Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven, with the transfer costing between £35 million and £44 million, according to BBC Sports.
The highly skilled young Dutchman made a mark at the recently concluded World Cup in Qatar. He has also been in blistering club form, having scored nine goals and provided 12 assists in just 14 appearances for PSV Eindhoven.
Gakpo has now revealed that his national teammate Virgil van Dijk played a vital role in convincing him to join the Reds. In his first interview with the club (via SportsBrief), Gakpo praised Van Dijk and said:
''Yes, for sure, because he's our captain; he's a great personality, he's a great player."
The forward also went on to disclose a personal conversation, during which the 31-year-old offered to help him settle in Merseyside.
''What he told me this is the right move for me to make... to develop and to become a better player; that the club is a really big and massive club but also like a real family… He said only good things," he said.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag keeps mum about Cody Gakpo's move to Liverpool
Cody Gakpo's transfer to Liverpool took many by surprise, as it was widely thought that Manchester United would sign the young Dutchman. There were strong Dutch connections at Man Utd and with head coach Erik ten Hag at the helm, many speculated that Gakpo would join the Red Devils.
Despite interest from Man Utd, Gakpo ultimately decided to join their rivals in Merseyside. When asked about the forward's move to Anfield, Ten Hag declined to comment on it or reveal any information about the club's transfer plans. He told Amazon Prime Video (via Mirror):
"I don't talk about individual cases. We are looking for a striker, it would be good with so many games coming. We want to stay in all the leagues we are playing in and you need numbers in the squad."
