For Cody Gakpo to sign for Liverpool, several paving stones had to fall into place, including a hat-trick scored by chance and Man United turning down the Dutchman.
Now in his second full season with Liverpool, Gakpo is excelling on the left wing and has scored 37 goals in his 111 appearances for the Reds.
Under Arne Slot, he has grown into a vital part of the team, but he nearly didn’t sign for Liverpool.
Before his initial £37 million move in January 2023, Gakpo nearly signed for Man United, as he explained to TNT Sports.
"I almost joined Man United. They didn't want me anymore." ?
Cody Gakpo on being close to joining Man United and how his first career hat-trick influenced the decision to stay at PSV in 2022 ?
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“In the summer of 2022, I was almost planning to leave then I almost went to [Man] United,” said the 25-year-old.
“At the end, they didn’t want me anymore, things happened and everything. Then I could stay here (PSV) or go to two other clubs. And I just prayed about it and found the answer in some goals that I scored.
“If I scored a hat-trick I should stay and it was the first hat-trick of my career – a more clear answer I couldn’t get, so yeah, that guided me a lot.”
Expanding on the story while writing for the The Players’ Tribune, the attacker added that Antony’s £86 million move to Man United in September 2022 was one of the biggest factors in him eventually ending up on Merseyside.
“In the summer of 2022, United went for Antony. I was like, What should I do? At this point I could go to Leeds, Southampton, or I could stay at PSV,” the attacker said.
“I prayed, and I asked God for guidance. But you see, I had to make sure I got his message.
“So I said, If I score only one time, I’ll go to Southampton…. If I score two times, I’ll go to Leeds…. If I score three times, I’ll stay.
“The next day we played, and I scored twice. I was also involved in a third goal — and at first, it was called as an own goal. Then I was subbed out.
“So, two goals, right? I thought, Ah, OK, it’s Leeds then. I was at peace with my decision. As I was sitting on the bench, I told my friend, Jordan Teze, who now plays for Monaco, the whole story.
“He was like, ‘If God wants you to stay, that own goal will be awarded to you.’
“It was like a coin toss, waiting to see what they decided. It could have gone either way! But after the game, they gave me the goal. I scored three, so my fate changed. I stayed at PSV.
“It’s a funny story, but in a way, that’s a really important piece of the puzzle. Thank God I stayed because that allowed me to play in the World Cup, which led to Liverpool.”
After the Netherlands were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup, Gakpo left for Dubai on holiday where he found out Liverpool were close to a deal.
If Liverpool supporters weren’t already pleased that Man United wasted a massive fee on Antony, they will be now.
The Reds certainly got the better deal and it is perhaps a story that sums up why the two clubs’ fortunes are currently so different.
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