Cody Gakpo: A Star for the Netherlands, A Puzzle for Liverpool
Cody Gakpo walked off the pitch with two more World Cup goals to his name and a question he clearly expected, but didn’t particularly want to answer.
How does his role with the Netherlands compare to life at Liverpool?
“A good question. Obviously it's a little bit different,” he said. “It's different where the coach wants me to be, the freedom that I have.” Then he stopped himself. No elaboration. No public gripe. Just a small pause that said enough.
Because while Gakpo is thriving in orange, his future in red suddenly looks far more complicated.
A star for country, a puzzle for club
For the Netherlands, his numbers are brutal and simple: five goals in seven World Cup games across two tournaments, 23 in 52 caps since his debut five years ago. Against Sweden, he was again the difference. One tap-in at the back post, one classic Gakpo special – cutting in from the left, right foot, drilled finish. Clinical. Inevitable.
Those close to the Dutch camp talk about a tight, unified group. Gakpo sits right at the heart of it, on and off the pitch. Crysencio Summerville calls him “our pastor” – the player who leads the squad in prayer. Virgil van Dijk doesn’t need convincing either.
“He is an outstanding footballer,” the Netherlands and Liverpool captain said after the 5-1 win over Sweden. “He works so hard for the team, he's disciplined and his quality stands out – his crosses, his assists, his goals.”
On the international stage, there is no debate. Gakpo is a pillar.
At Liverpool, he is becoming a question.
From title catalyst to crossroads
Under Arne Slot in the 2024-25 title-winning season, Gakpo looked like a cornerstone of Liverpool’s attack. Eighteen goals, seven assists, 49 games in all competitions. He stretched defences, linked play, delivered in big moments. That form earned him a long-term contract last summer, one he was by all accounts delighted to sign.
Then came last season.
Three more appearances, but the output was almost cut in half: nine goals, six assists. A difficult year for Liverpool as a whole, an attack that laboured too often, and Gakpo was far from the only one below his best. Still, he will know those numbers are not enough for a player of his status, not at Anfield, not in this era.
His preference is clear: he wants that left-hand channel. From there, he can face the game, drift inside, pick passes or shoot. But 2025-26 exposed a fault line in Liverpool’s structure. His relationship with Milos Kerkez down that flank needed work, especially in making the most of the Hungarian’s aggressive overlapping runs.
The understanding did grow as the season wore on. Now Kerkez is back under Andoni Iraola, his former Bournemouth manager, and the expectation is that his development accelerates. A sharper, more confident Kerkez could transform that side of the pitch.
That might yet be the best news Gakpo hears this summer.
New faces, old questions
The problem for him is that Liverpool are not standing still.
In the same week Gakpo reminded everyone of his World Cup pedigree, the club committed £34.5m to Victor Munoz from Osasuna – another winger who prefers the left. At the same time, they are pushing hard to land Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig in a package worth £86m. The 19-year-old can operate on both wings and is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting young forwards.
Add that to the existing cast and the picture becomes crowded.
Florian Wirtz spent spells off the left for Liverpool last season and is playing there for Germany at this World Cup. Talented teenager Rio Ngumoha is being lined up for a bigger role. Mohamed Salah has gone, and at least one more attacking signing is expected, but the scramble to reshape the forward line does not automatically guarantee Gakpo a clear lane.
Everything now leans towards one central question: where does Iraola see Wirtz, and by extension, where does he see Gakpo?
If Wirtz becomes the long-term No 10, Gakpo’s path on the left opens up again. If Wirtz is locked into that left channel, Gakpo starts to look more like a movable piece.
Versatility or vulnerability?
Liverpool still value Gakpo. That much is not in doubt.
Fifty goals in 180 games make him only the second Dutchman after Dirk Kuyt to reach a half-century for the club. When fit, he has usually been first choice. Inside the building, he is seen as a proven Premier League attacker who can adapt to different roles, a player who can play wide or move inside and lead the line if needed.
That flexibility matters more than ever now. Hugo Ekitike’s ruptured Achilles could keep him out until 2027, stripping Iraola of a central option. Gakpo’s ability to play through the middle suddenly becomes an asset as much as a safety net.
But versatility cuts both ways. It can make a player indispensable. It can also make him the one who moves to accommodate everyone else.
And for the first time since his arrival from PSV Eindhoven in December 2022, the idea of Gakpo moving on is no longer unthinkable.
A market watching closely
Clubs are paying attention. Tottenham Hotspur are among those monitoring his situation, aware that any sign of Liverpool softening their stance could open a rare opportunity.
Given his age, contract, and track record, any deal would not be cheap. Liverpool would expect upwards of £60m – a sizeable profit on the initial £35m they paid PSV after the 2022 World Cup. In a market starved of ready-made forwards with European and Premier League experience, that figure would not scare everyone away.
Liverpool, though, know the other side of that equation. New signings, however talented, often need time. The first seasons of Alexander Isak and Wirtz at Anfield were reminders of how steep the adaptation curve can be, even for elite prospects. Gakpo has already climbed that hill.
Selling a player who knows the league, the club, and the pressure could solve one problem and create another.
A World Cup that changes everything?
For now, Gakpo’s gaze is fixed firmly on the World Cup and the Netherlands. He is scoring, leading, and playing with the freedom he hinted at when asked about the difference between country and club.
Every goal he scores in this tournament tightens the knot around Liverpool’s decision. It reinforces his value to them and inflates his price to everyone else. It also underlines, in front of a global audience, what he can be when built around, rather than fitted in.
As Iraola and Liverpool’s recruitment team pull apart and reassemble an attack that misfired last season, Gakpo sits right at the centre of the debate.
Is he the forward they build the next phase around, or the asset that funds it?
