Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that Cody Gakpo is unlikely to make his debut for the club in their first Premier League game of the New Year against Brentford on January 2.
On Wednesday night, the Reds confirmed the signing of the in-demand PSV Eindhoven attacker, who will officially join the club on New Year’s Day.
Gakpo was widely expected to complete a mid-season move to Manchester United, who fought tooth and nail to bring him to Old Trafford in the summer alongside Southampton and Leeds United.
However, the 23-year-old Netherlands man has penned a five-and-a-half year deal at Liverpool until the summer of 2028, with the Reds paying a reported £37m upfront and a further £7m in add-ons.
Gakpo would be eligible to make his debut against Brentford next Monday, which is a bank holiday in the UK, but Klopp does not expect the admin to be completed in time for the top-flight clash.
Instead, Klopp believes that the Dutchman could make his first appearance for the Merseyside club when they face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the third round of the FA Cup on January 7.
“There might be a chance for Brentford but not really – there is a bank holiday on Monday and paperwork needs to be signed. Probably Wolves,” Klopp told reporters ahead of Friday’s game with Leicester City.
Gakpo recorded 55 goals and 50 assists in 159 outings for PSV after coming through their youth academy, while he scored three goals in five games for the Netherlands at the World Cup.
The attacker shared a Dutch dressing room with Virgil van Dijk in Qatar, and Klopp revealed that the centre-back did have an influence on proceedings once negotiations advanced.
“We didn’t need Virgil to convince him but he likes to be involved in these things!” Klopp added. “Virg was involved from a specific moment onwards. I spoke to him as well – when you are manager of LFC, sometimes you think you need to convince someone, but it was a home run [negotiations].
“He’s a really good player. The package is really interesting. The age, the quality he showed already. That’s why we were very interested. It’s big for us.
“The position he has played most often is on the left, that is clear. But he can play all four positions up front if you play a 4-2-3-1 and is still very young. The position he probably prefers he can play is on the left of a 4-3-3.”
Gakpo will compete with Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, Fabio Carvalho and Roberto Firmino – who is out of contract at the end of the season – for starts at Anfield in the coming months.
When asked if Gakpo’s arrival could impact Firmino’s decision on his future, Klopp added: “No. We had talks with Bobby. From my point of view I want him definitely to stay. It has no impact. If it affects Bobby then you’d have to ask him.”
Klopp also confirmed that Ibrahima Konate was back in training following the World Cup final and would be available to face Leicester on Friday, where the sixth-placed Reds could move to within two points of Tottenham Hotspur in the final Champions League place.
SOURCE: sportsmole.co.uk
