Official: Liverpool sign Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven

Liverpool have announced the signing of Dutch international Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven. He has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with the Reds.

Liverpool beat Manchester United to the signing of the 23-year-old after an impressive campaign. Leeds United also failed with a deadline day swoop for him last summer.

Liverpool paid £37 million to sign Gakpo ahead of the January transfer window. He will wear the number 18 at the club and deputise for the injured Luis Diaz. He can also fill in as a centre-forward.

“It really is great news for us that we have been able to do it, and I have to say it has been a fantastic job by everyone involved, especially Julian [Ward], said Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp.

“The work that has gone into this has been really impressive, and in the end, we have managed to sign a player who we have known about for quite some time and who we believe will have a really bright future with us.

“There is a lot to like about Cody. He is still only 23 years old, but he already has a lot of experience.

“He was the captain of PSV, he was the Player of the Year in Holland last season, and as a lot of people have just seen, he also had a great World Cup with his national team.

“So, it is clear that he is already a really, really good player but his age also means he also has the potential to become even better.

“Offensively, he is very versatile, and on top of this,z we know he is a smart footballer and also a smart person, so we are really excited to be able to work with him.”

“I feel really good. I’m really excited to be here. I’m looking forward to starting training and start playing for this amazing club,” Gakpo said after his move.

“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 than they already did in the past years.

“I think for me personally it’s also good to develop here and there’s a lot of great players here [who] I can learn a lot of things from.”

Gakpo was born and raised in Eindhoven. He came up through PSV’s youth ranks before making his debut in February 2018.

Gakpo has made 159 appearances for the club, becoming the club’s captain. He has scored 55 goals and assisted another 50.

This season, he has scored 13 goals and assisted 17. He led the Eredivisie in goals and assists before the World Cup break. His impressive form put him on Louis Van Gaal’s list for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Gakpo impressed at the tournament, scoring three goals in five games. He has 14 caps for the Netherlands, scoring six and assisting two.