Gakpo joins Liverpool from PSV - Among biggest market value winners in 2022

This article first appeared on December 27 and has been updated with new information.

Liverpool have come to terms with PSV Eindhoven for World Cup star Cody Gakpo. The Eredivisie side confirmed the transfer late on Monday night before the Reds also announced an agreement on Wednesday. According to David Ornstein from The Athletic, the full package of the deal is in the region of €40-50 million. As a result, Gakpo is one of the ten most expensive Liverpool signings in history (overview). 

At a first glance, the transfer is a bit of a surprise. In Darwin Núñez, Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, and Luis Díaz, the Reds have five forwards under contract already. Furthermore, Jota and Díaz, like Gakpo, prefer to play on the left wing. But the Portuguese and Colombian forward have been struggling with injuries and although they are both due back in January, doubt over their fitness remains. 

Furthermore, Gakpo is a flexible forward. The 23-year-old Dutch striker impressed at the World Cup, scoring three goals in five games for the Netherlands. Most importantly, Gakpo highlighted his adaptability playing various positions in Dutch head coach Louis van Gaal’s 3-5-2 set up where he was used as a striker and attacking midfielder. 

New Liverpool star: Gakpo saw market value increase by 172.7%

The ability to play various positions and his deadliness in front of the goal has made him a hot commodity during the World Cup. Heavily scouted by various Premier League teams, Gakpo was linked with a move to Manchester United. With the club snooping around, Gakpo confirmed his Eredivisie form where he leads the league with 9 goals and 12 assists for PSV in 14 games. 

Gakpo, in fact, has impressed all season. The Dutch striker not only leads the league in combined goals and assists but, according to Wyscout, also in shots (47) and is second in overall dribble attempts (104). Not surprisingly, Gakpo’s market value has been rising throughout the 2022/23 season. Gakpo started the season with a €30m market value, which has since increased to €60 million. The Dutch forward, in fact, was one of just 53 players to see their market value increase in the recent World Cup update. 

With a market value increase of 172.7% (+€38m) Gakpo is among the top 10 players in terms of market value growth in 2022. With that in mind, Liverpool signing the player now for around €40-50 million is a sensible move. The Reds initially planned to sign the Dutch striker next summer but with competition ramping up—Man United was one of just many clubs interested—Jürgen Klopp opted to pull the trigger now.