Gakpo has only ever been a decoy for Antony
Robin Bairner
- 28 Aug 2022 20:56 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United have only been using PSV winger Cody Gakpo as bait to sign Antony, according to a report.
The Red Devils have been pushing to add an attacker to their ranks all summer, but despite concerted interest in Antony have been unable to land a deal for the Ajax winger yet.
The Amsterdam club have thus far held fast to the Brazil international, who is now pushing to leave the club before the close of the transfer window.
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Was Gakpo ever a serious option for Man Utd?
Man Utd, though, have also been trying to exert pressure on the Eredivisie champions by concocting interest in PSV winger Gakpo that did not exist, the Manchester Evening News reports.
It claims that a source close to the club has indicated that the Red Devils never had an interest in a player of that profile. And this makes sense. Gakpo is a right-sided left winger, which mirrors Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga.
Antony, on the other hand, can bring Man Utd something different.
Equally, Gakpo’s profile has been raised thanks to the supposed interest from Manchester United. This could be seen as a spin off benefit to the PSV attacker’s agent as his client’s profile has been boosted. It could be seen as more than a coincidence that he shares a representative with manager Erik ten Hag.
Certainly, there are doubts over Gakpo in the Netherlands. Although he won Dutch Footballer of the Year last season, there are concerns over his ability to perform in big games. Those were only heightened during the Champions League playoffs as PSV were dumped out of the competition by Scottish club Rangers 3-2 on aggregate. Gakpo delivered an assist in the first leg, but his overall contribution to the tie was muted.
The threat of Man Utd moving for the Netherlands international remains, but it does not seem to have the impact that the Old Trafford club wished, with Ajax holding out for €100m for Antony.
