Izuchukwu Okosi
Liverpool on Wednesday announced the signing of Dutch winger of Togolese descent, Cody Gakpo, from PSV Eindhoven after the youngster completed his medical and agreed personal terms.
Gakpo emerged as a Liverpool principal target on Boxing Day following a good World Cup in Qatar. The deal is subject to a work permit.
All that remained was for Gakpo to sort out personal terms and complete a mandatory medical examination amd that went successfully on Wednesday.
Gakpo has signed a long-term contract, believed to be until the summer of 2028. He will wear the number 18 shirt for his new club, whom he will formally join when the transfer window officially opens on January 1.
Mainly a left winger, Gakpo had scored 13 goals from 24 appearances in the first half of the season for PSV, as well as providing 17 assists. Both tallies were competition highs in the Eredivisie.
Now, he is gearing himself up for his new challenge on Merseyside.
Speaking to the club’s official media team, Gakpo said: “I feel really good, I’m really excited to be here. I’m looking forward to start training and start playing for this amazing club.
“I think this is a great club for me to come in and try to show what I can [do] and try to help the team to achieve more beautiful moments that they already did in the past years.
Elaborating on his targets, Gakpo added: “I’m really looking forward to [playing at Anfield]. I heard a lot of great stories about the stadium, about the atmosphere. I cannot wait.
“Obviously [my aim is] to win as many prizes as we can as a team, to perform well, to show the world what we can do as a team and what I can do as a player. And personally, just to keep developing and become a better player every season.
Liverpool are next in action on December 30 against Leicester, a game in which Gakpo cannot play, but their first fixture after he officially joins will be against Brentford on January 2.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
