Cody Gakpo's Man Utd asking price doubles

FT Desk

26 Nov 2022 09:29 GMT
3 min read

PSV Eindhoven could demand more than €50 million for Cody Gakpo after his performances for the Netherlands at the World Cup.

Article continues under the video

Gakpo remains a top target for Erik ten Hag. United were close to signing him in the summer before running out of time with the €100 million transfer of Antony from Ajax more protracted than the Red Devils would have hoped.

Gakpo hasn't let the failed deal get him down, and this season has lit up Dutch football with 13 goals and 17 assists from just 24 games in all competitions, giving him a goal-involvement every 65 minutes he has played.

READ: Gakpo and one more: Man Utd planning €125m January transfer offensive

Gakpo is currently valued at €28.5m per Football Transfers in-house algorithm, and PSV were expected to accept a figure around that mark having run into some financial difficulty, but the attacker's World Cup performances are driving his fee up.

The Eredivisie may be rated five places below the Premier League in the latest UEFA coefficients, but two goals in two games for the Netherlands at the World Cup has put the 23-year-old more prominently in the shop window.

Last summer targets De Jong assisting Cody Gakpo goal against Senegal pic.twitter.com/bFOkRDOzFz
— United Knights (@UnitedKnights5) November 22, 2022

Increasing value

"Cody Gakpo has pushed his asking price up even further, above €50m," report Dutch daily newspaper Eindhovens Dagblad. "PSV are delighted with his World Cup performances."

READ: Man Utd transfer target says it would be 'an honour' to play for Liverpool

However, PSV will now likely have to part ways with Gakpo in the January transfer window, having initially planned to cash in on their star player at the end of the season.

Gakpo went public about his disappointment at the United deal falling through, but has since left the door open to other clubs to make a bid for him.

"PSV was always my dream club," he told Dutch broadcaster NOS. "I don't really have one for the rest. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool - it'd be an honour to play there.

"But I also have to see what kind of team I can best achieve my goals."