Cody Gakpo admits he spoke to Erik ten Hag about a potential move to Manchester United shortly before joining Premier League rivals Liverpool to the tune of £37 million.
As far as transfer decisions go, this is one which has aged about as well as a pint of milk left out on a hot sunny afternoon.
Manchester United came close to luring Cody Gakpo to Old Trafford during the summer of 2022 but, as Sky Sports point out, opted to splurge a staggering £86 million on fellow Eredivisie export Antony instead.
Gakpo, the former PSV Eindhoven talisman, eventually joined United’s North West neighbours Liverpool for less than half the fee around six months later. And, despite arriving in the Premier League later than Antony, Gakpo already has double the number of goal contributions in English football.
26 compared to Antony’s rather miserable tally of 13.
Manchester United held talks with Liverpool ace
“It was the summer. I was in contact with the club (Man United) and the manager,” Gakpo now tells Sky, opening up on his discussions with Ten Hag. “He’s Dutch, so I spoke to him as well.
“At the end of the day, it fell through. That’s it. And, in the winter, Liverpool came. It was the best decision for me.”
Just to rub salt into United’s wounds, Gakpo would go on to score twice as Liverpool delivered the Red Devils’ worst-ever Premier League result last season, setting Jurgen Klopp’s side on their way to seventh heaven at Anfield.
Antony, meanwhile, now finds himself fighting for his future under a new Manchester United ownership group keeping no prisoners and pulling even fewer punches. The Brazilian has lost his place in Ten Hag’s XI of late – teenager Omari Forson preferred against Fulham last week – although he did produce a much-improved display during the midweek FA Cup win at Nottingham Forest.
Antony fighting for his Old Trafford future
“I backed him for a long time,” Ten Hag told the Manchester Evening News, that mega-money arrival of a man the coach worked alongside at Ajax a regular stick with which to beat the under-pressure United boss.
“I know his abilities and he has great abilities. When he plays like I know from the past, he is unstoppable. No defender can stop him because he’s one of the quickest players in the first 10 yards.
“When he plays that game, he will perform. I’m sure he will do for the future.
“I’m sure he is resilient, he is a character and he will fight back. And I back him. He now has to wait for his chance and, once he is there, he has to pick up.”
Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise has been mentioned as a potential replacement for Antony.
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