Cody Gakpo has looked dangerous on the left flank for the Netherlands, and his numbers at Euro 2024 will probably resonate with Liverpool manager Arne Slot, although it is believed that clubs should never judge a potential signing based on their performance in an international tournament.
An individual can look great for three or four weeks, supported by team-mates who speak their language, but the story at the club can be completely different. Liverpool have been there before. The excitement of signing El-Hadji Diouf came shortly after he tormented world and European champions France at the 2002 World Cup, but the Senegalese striker managed just six goals in 80 appearances for the Reds. Or Czech striker Milan Baros was top scorer at Euro 2004 (five goals), but never really established himself as a mainstay for Liverpool, scoring 11 goals in 42 games in 2004–05.
There have been success stories, however, notably Patrik Berger joining after Euro 96 and the Czech midfielder almost immediately becoming a fans’ favourite at Anfield.
Just weeks after the 2022 World Cup, Cody Gakpo arrived from PSV after impressing for the Netherlands in Qatar. Of course, Liverpool didn’t just sign him for his three World Cup goals, they had been tracking Gakpo for some time and secured their man in January 2023. The 25-year-old has been a positive addition to the Premier League giants, scoring 23 goals in 79 games during a season and a half on Merseyside, but it’s fair to say Liverpool fans don’t quite recognise him, having guided the Netherlands to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
Gakpo’s goal against Romania in the round of 16 was his third of the tournament, putting him on top of the scoring charts. Combined at the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024, the only European player to score more goals than Gakpo (6) is Kylian Mbappé (9). Notably, all of Gakpo’s goals came in different matches.
It is worth noting, however, that Gakpo seems to have excelled for the Netherlands at major tournaments, with six of his 12 goals for the Oranje coming at either the Euros or the World Cup. Of all the players to have scored seven or more goals for the Netherlands, only Johnny Rep has a higher scoring ratio at major tournaments (eight out of 12).
The winger also became the youngest Dutchman (25 years, 56 days) to score and assist in a knockout match at a major tournament since Marco van Basten in the 1988 European Championship final (23 years, 238 days). His assist in the win over Romania proved that Gakpo is more than just a goalscorer. He also created the most chances from open play at the tournament, along with Turkey’s Ferdi Kadioglu (both 11), and the most big chances created by Hungary’s Roland Sallai and Spain’s Lamine Yamal (both 4).
Gakpo’s running and shooting style, as well as his height, make him resemble Marcus Rashford when he was fit for Manchester United. Interestingly, Gakpo plays on the left wing for the Netherlands, but rarely does so for his club. Manager Jurgen Klopp uses him mainly in a central attacking role and even on rare occasions in central midfield. Klopp admitted in February that he was responsible for Gakpo’s struggles with form, suggesting he has realised midfield is not the player’s best position.
The player played mainly on the left wing for PSV before moving to Anfield, although he was used as a striker by then-Dutch boss Louis van Gaal at the 2022 World Cup. However, Romald Koeman certainly believes that the left wing is the best place for his talents: “First of all, his position is on the left,” Koeman insisted to reporters after the win over Romania. “He is really dangerous against a right-back. Inside, outside, he has his qualities, he is strong. He is playing at a high level in this tournament. He is probably the most important player so far and I hope the rest of the players can reach that level.
It will be interesting to see where new Liverpool manager and fellow Dutchman Arne Slot will use Gakpo. At Feyenoord, Slot played with a front three similar to Koeman with the national team. But the left side of attack is an area where Liverpool are well-stocked. Luis Díaz was a mainstay last season, while Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez could also play there. However, given his form in Germany, Gakpo is sure to catch Slot’s eye.
At his first press conference as Liverpool manager on Friday, Slot said: “Cody had a very good tournament, like the last tournament was the World Cup. I can only hope that he can continue to do that in the upcoming games.”
