PSV manager slams ‘small’ Cody Gakpo transfer decision and blames Liverpool move on Virgil van Dijk
The current manager of PSV Eindhoven, Ruud van Nistelrooy, has harshly criticized Cody Gakpo’s transfer to Liverpool.
Gakpo had been in sensational form for Van Nistelrooy throughout the first half of the season, scoring 13 goals and providing 17 assists in the Eredivise.
However, the Dutch club could not resist the millions offered by Liverpool for the forward, and he joined the Reds shortly after the holidays.
Since then, Van Nistelrooy has harshly criticized Gakpo’s decision to sign with Liverpool, urging him to join his former club Manchester United instead.
“Gakpo’s dream move was Manchester United, he was in contact with [Erik] Ten Hag since last August,” said Van Nistelrooy to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
“I also wanted him to join United — not just because it’s my club and I love them. But also because they are better than Liverpool and offer a lot more potential to their players.
“But United did not make a bid in January, so I advised him to wait ’til the summer. Something happened and he refused my advice and listened to Virgil [Van Dijk] who tempted him to join his team.
“He told me he wanted to move abroad in January. The fact is Liverpool is 10 times smaller than Manchester United, in every department.”
Since joining Liverpool, Gakpo has struggled, failing to score in any of his first six games. Since his arrival, Liverpool has been going through a difficult time, which has not helped.
Even so, Van Nistelrooy’s claim that Liverpool is “10 times smaller” than Manchester United is patently absurd and reeks of bitterness from the former Red Devil over Gakpo’s decision to sign with Liverpool rather than his preferred option. Regarding Van Dijk’s role, having world-class players is always a transfer pull.
PSV manager slams ‘small’ Cody Gakpo transfer decision and blames Liverpool move on Virgil van Dijk
