PSV chief reveals why Gakpo never signed for Man Utd
Karan Tejwani
- 17 Sept 2022 19:55 BST
- 3 min read
Cody Gakpo was linked with a move to Manchester United over the summer but it never happened, as the English side were a tad late in their approach.
The Dutch club wanted £43 million for the attacker, but no one was willing to pay that and Gakpo ended up staying at PSV for the rest of the 2022-23 campaign.
Now, Sporting Director Marcel Brands has spoken about the failed transfer and says that the player himself had been distracted at the start of the season due to the chatter around his future at the club.
Erik ten Hag was known to be an admirer of Gakpo, having seen his talents first hand in the Eredivisie, but a concrete move never arrived for him as he focused on other targets.
Related articles
PSV reveal why Gakpo never moved
Speaking to Eindhovens Dagblad, Brands spoke about the failed transfer: “Cody has had a difficult preparation with us because he has spoken with Manchester United.
“They didn't come until mid-August and didn't go through. I even think Cody wouldn't have left at the end of the transfer window, if the right amount had been offered.
“There has been no bid that approached the lower bound of what we agreed with Cody,” The Dutchman concluded, suggesting interested clubs needed to pay more to secure the forward’s services.
Cody Gakpo in 2022/23:
👥 12 appearances
👤 12 starts
⏰ 962 minutes (10.7 90s)
⚽️ 9 goals
🎯 6 assists
🥅 64:08 minutes per goal involvement
He has already created 39 chances (9 big chances) despite not even registering 1,000 minutes! pic.twitter.com/LPRcOVrLKy— UtdArena (@UtdArena) September 11, 2022
Manchester United ended up signing Antony from Ajax, who Ten Hag knew well and had worked with in Amsterdam, and he was the boss’ top target for the window.
There were other English clubs interested in the signing of Gakpo including Arsenal, Southampton, Leeds United and Newcastle, but no club made a move as the player ended up staying.
The Dutch international has had a fine start to the season, netting nine goals in 12 matches across all competitions, and is on course to be a part of Louis van Gaal’s team going to the World Cup.
