Cody Gakpo to Man Utd: How a last-minute equaliser might have derailed move
Robin Bairner
- 10 Aug 2022 09:19 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United’s prospects of a transfer for Cody Gakpo were landed a blow on Tuesday as PSV struck a last-minute equaliser against Monaco.
Erick Gutierrez’s close-range header meant they secured a 2-2 draw against Monaco, which forced their Champions League third-round qualifying match into extra-time.
Former Barcelona striker Luuk de Jong headed the Dutch side through during that additional half hour, transforming the plans of the Red Devils in the process.
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With only Scottish side Rangers standing between PSV and the Champions League group stages, they will surely be in no mood to sell Gakpo before the second leg of that tie, which will be worth a dizzying amount of money to the Eredivisie outfit.
Man Utd’s hopes of landing Gakpo, then, have likely been pushed back to after the second leg of that encounter, which will take place on 24 August, just a week before the transfer window shuts.
This is unwelcome news for manager Eric ten Hag, whose transfer plans this summer have been hit by delay after delay, and the revolution that was expected at Old Trafford has been slow to take place.
Gakpo is unlikely to force a move away in these circumstances either, given this will be his first genuine opportunity to play Champions League football with the club at which he came through the academy set up. He was involved in their 2018/19 campaign but made the squad only for a 2-2 draw against Tottenham, in which he played seven minutes.
There is, of course, no prospect of Champions League football at Old Trafford.
Bad news for Gakpo, good news for Rabiot
If the result has pushed Gakpo away from Manchester United, it means that a deal for Adrien Rabiot of Juventus has become likelier. The France international had been linked with a move to Monaco, yet with the principality side missing out on the Champions League, a switch to Old Trafford has become increasingly attractive for him.
Rabiot, meanwhile, remains a second-choice option in comparison to Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, yet Man Utd still appear some distance from making headway on the Dutchman.
