Virgil van Dijk Urges Liverpool to Keep Cody Gakpo Amid Manchester City Transfer Rumours

Cody Gakpo has recorded one goal and provided a single assist across Liverpool's opening two fixtures. Virgil van Dijk has expressed his desire for Liverpool to retain Cody Gakpo, as Manchester City is reportedly pursuing the Dutch international ahead of Tuesday’s Premier League transfer deadline.

Cody Gakpo faces increased competition for playing time at Anfield following the arrival of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee reaching up to $166m, positioning the Frenchman as the second-most expensive player in Premier League history. Over three and a half years at Liverpool, Cody Gakpo has netted 51 goals and contributed significantly to the club securing its 20th English top-flight title during the 2024–25 campaign. The 27-year-old began the current season strongly, contributing one goal and one assist as Liverpool secured 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest under manager Andoni Iraola.

Despite this, Liverpool may be open to selling Cody Gakpo, with Manchester City reportedly preparing a 75 million pound ($101.6m) bid. Virgil van Dijk stated, “He’s a quality player, and I think we should keep quality players, but let’s see what the next three days bring. Obviously, it’s pretty clear that I want him to stay, not only because he is the quality player that he is, but also [because] he’s a friend of mine, and I think he will be very important for us.”

Bradley Barcola was persuaded to move to England by the European champions, despite a challenging period for Liverpool, who finished fifth in the Premier League last season. However, Virgil van Dijk remains confident that Liverpool will continue to attract elite global talent. He added, “I think Liverpool are still one of the biggest clubs in the world. Obviously, we all know that we’re going through a transition, and you either want to be part of it, or you don’t. I’m part of it now.” Regarding Bradley Barcola, Virgil van Dijk noted, “He’s a very good player. If he comes, he’ll be welcomed with open arms, but until it’s there, there’s no point speaking about it now.”

Andoni Iraola has quickly experienced the defensive vulnerabilities that led to the dismissal of Arne Slot, as Newcastle and Nottingham Forest exposed Liverpool's backline. Nevertheless, Liverpool successfully rallied from behind in both matches to earn a point. Virgil van Dijk remarked, “It takes some time, but obviously we all want it to work as soon as possible and for 90 minutes. That’s now two games in a row we’ve had to fight back. Obviously, it’s a good sign that we fight back, but I think we can still do much better than what we have been showing. We have to score more; we have to concede less. Nottingham Forest came here three times in the last three seasons and came away unbeaten, and that shouldn’t happen.”