Arsenal handed boost in Cody Gakpo race
Arsenal have been handed a boost in their pursuit of PSV winger Cody Gakpo, according to reports.
As per Dutch transfer expert Aad de Mos, via Sport Witness, both Liverpool and Manchester City are interested in the 22-year-old, but it is Arsenal who are currently leading the race to sign the Dutchman.
No potential fee is mentioned in the report, but given Gakpo’s age and recent displays, it is hard to see Gakpo coming cheap.
Who is Cody Gakpo?
Cody Gakpo is a player who has spent his entire career on the books of his hometown club, PSV.
The Eindhoven-native has featured on 131 occasions for PSV’s senior side. In said games, he has scored 39 and assisted 33.
Gakpo is having a particularly fruitful 2021/22 season, which has so far seen him notch 18 goals and 15 assists in 43 outings across all competitions – a fantastic return for a winger.
Gakpo, who made his senior Netherlands debut in June of 2021, is a natural left-winger. However, he is pretty versatile and can operate both on the left-wing and through the middle.
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Does Gakpo fit in at Arsenal?
Arsenal already have an abundance of wide options in their squad, with Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli generally the preferred choices to start on the left-wing now Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has left.
However, Smith Rowe is more suited to playing centrally, whilst Martinelli can be used as a centre-forward – an area Arsenal will be lacking in come the summer.
So, especially as Arsenal look set to have some form of European football next term, there does look to be room for a player of Gakpo’s quality in their squad.
However, should Gakpo arrive, that would reduce Nicolas Pepe’s game time even further.
