Manchester United look set to pursue Cody Gakpo in January following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Red Devils announced on Tuesday that the Portugal captain would be leaving the club with ‘immediate effect’ after a mutual agreement was reached to terminate his contract.
The exit now means United will be forced to act in the winter transfer window to bring in reinforcements for their depleted forward department. Currently, they only have Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial as out-and-out striker options, with the latter struggling to maintain fitness so far this season.
Gakpo was an option for Erik ten Hag in the summer, with the club starting negotiations with his agents before ultimately prioritising the signing of Antony from Ajax. Gakpo later admitted it was a “shame” a deal failed to materialise.
Since then, he has only shown the Reds what they’re missing, as he has been one of the most in-form and prolific attackers across Europe this season; 13 goals and 17 assists in 24 appearances across all competitions. He made his World Cup debut this week and has already netted two goals on the world’s biggest stage.
United handed transfer boost for Gakpo
On ESPN, Hans Kraay Jr said: “Gakpo is GONE. PSV are not going to keep him, and cannot keep him anymore. Gakpo will soon be playing in the Premier League.
Hans Kraay jr. weet het zeker, Gakpo is weg! 💵 pic.twitter.com/yxlKBNreU5
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) November 25, 2022
“The chance that it will be Manchester United is now a lot higher again, because Ronaldo has left. They have even more money available.”
Footage courtesy of ESPN.
