Manchester United target Cody Gakpo has admitted he held talks with Erik ten Hag over the summer and was disappointed when a deal didn’t materialise.
United were heavily linked to Gakpo throughout the summer before ultimately prioritising the transfer of Antony from Ajax. The £86 million deal concluded the club’s transfer window signings.
The forward would have been an exciting addition to United’s squad and one that Ten Hag may regret not completing, especially as the Reds’ main striker Anthony Martial has suffered from three separate injuries already this season. Having a young, prolific attacker would have only benefited the team as they try to balance the hectic schedule of the Premier League, cup competitions and Europe.
The Netherlands international is likely to receive a call-up to the World Cup in November after racking up outstanding goal contributions for both PSV and his national side.
Don't sleep on Cody Gakpo 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7LvAvGLRD2
— GOAL (@goal) October 14, 2022
In the 2021/2022 season for PSV, he scored 15 goals and contributed 15 assists in all competitions, and he’s set on going even further this season; 13 goals and 11 assists so far in only 18 games.
Cody Gakpo wanted United move before deal fell through
When reflecting on the links to the Red Devils, he told The Times: “I was close to leaving, I spoke to Erik ten Hag a few times at Manchester United.
“In the end the deal didn’t go through, which was a shame, for me and my development, and because Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, but also for PSV, because to transfer a player to Manchester United is a good thing for the club.
“It ended about a week before the end of the transfer window and in that week I had to decide if I would go to Leeds or Southampton. In the end I stayed, but it was a stressful period.”
