Revealed: Cody Gakpo makes Man Utd transfer admission
FT Desk
- 3 Sept 2022 10:24 BST
- 3 min read
PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo admits that he thought he would have been a Manchester United player by the end of the recent transfer window.
United spent nearly €240 million on bolstering their squad this summer, Erik ten Hag raiding his native Netherlands to sign Antony and Lisandro Martinez from Ajax and Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord.
Casemiro also arrived in an €80m deal from Real Madrid, while Christian Eriksen and Martin Dubravka arrived on a free and on loan from Brentford and Newcastle respectively.
This man was on 🔥 this season.
Europe, watch Cody Gakpo 👀🇳🇱#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/qrAUJFMN9z— PSV (@PSV) June 13, 2021
Gakpo thought he would have been among their number.
Manchester United had reported at the beginning of the transfer window," he told PSV's YouTube channel. "We were waiting for that a bit. The signals became more and more positive and at a certain point I thought it might fall in that direction.
"That option faded a bit and completely last week. We worked the whole window towards it. Until last week, I thought I would go to Man Utd. In the last week I looked at all options. In the end PSV came up with a good offer and that turned out to be the right choice for me."
United signed Antony instead
Antony's €99m move at the end of the window reduced United's need for another winger, and Dutch international Gakpo has now signed a four-year deal at the Philips Stadion.
Gakpo scored 21 goals and laid on 15 assists in all competitions last season - giving him 14 more goal involvements than Antony - and is rated at €31m by Football Transfers' sophisticated inhouse algorithm.
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A move beyond the Dutch Eridivisie could now happen in January or atvthe end of the season, with Gakpo's new contract allowing PSV to drive up his price to potential suitors.
United are set to hand Antony his debut against Arsenal on Sunday at Old Trafford, while Gakpo will be at FC Twente with PSV on Saturday evening.
