Cody Gakpo has spent his entire career on the books of hometown club, PSV.
The Eindhoven-native has featured on 159 occasions for PSV’s senior side. In these games, he has scored 55 and assisted 50.
Gakpo, who made his senior Netherlands debut in June of 2021, also impressed at the 2022 World Cup before the Dutch were sent home by Argentina.
Gakpo was linked with a move to the Premier League at the start of the season, with Manchester United leading the race.
However, it then emerged on Monday that Liverpool have agreed a six-year deal with the winger that will see PSV net a guaranteed £37m.
And now, an insight into why Manchester United did not sign Gakpo has been revealed.
BBC Sport report that United’s scouting department were ‘never convinced’ about the winger’s level of development and were wary of paying PSV’s asking price.
Although Gakpo has netted nine times and laid on 12 assists in just 14 Eredivisie appearances this season – as well as netting three times at the World Cup – there were still some lingering question marks over his ability to make the step up to the Premier League. According to the Daily Mail, United never even got as far as finalising a first bid for Gakpo and felt the £44m valuation – with Liverpool paying a further £7m in add-ons – was inflated.
When United were interested in the summer, they valued Gakpo at closer to the £30m mark.
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