Liverpool man ‘definitely’ needs Anfield exit after Cody Gakpo January signing agreed – pundit

A Liverpool player has been urged to leave the club sooner rather than later following the announcement of Cody Gakpo’s move to Anfield.

Gakpo has been heavily linked with Manchester United in recent months. The Red Devils have reportedly been in contact with PSV over his potential signing.

But on Monday night, Liverpool entered into ‘advanced talks’ with PSV for the winger. And the two sides soon agreed an initial £37million fee, with an extra £13m also up for grabs to PSV through add-ons.

Fabrizio Romano claims Gakpo has signed a six-year contract with Jurgen Klopp’s side. PSV, meanwhile, have revealed his sale is a record departure for the club.

Gakpo will arrive at Anfield to provide competition and backup for wide attackers Luis Diaz and Mo Salah. He can also operate at centre-forward, so if he does well he could play there instead of Darwin Nunez, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota.

One player who may be slightly frustrated by Gakpo’s arrival is young winger Ben Doak. He joined Liverpool from Celtic in the summer and has made a good impression on Reds coaches.

Doak will have been hoping to add to his two senior Liverpool appearances during the second half of the campaign. But due to Gakpo joining, this is now less likely to happen.

And during an interview with Football Insider, pundit Alan Hutton has told the Scotland youth international to seek a Liverpool exit by going out on loan.

Liverpool starlet urged to secure move

“Yes, definitely,” Hutton said, when asked if Doak should secure a temporary transfer. “I think Klopp sees him in the Liverpool starting lineup in the future, but maybe not at this moment in time because they are going to bring in different players from different positions to strengthen right now.

“Players like Doak are obviously the future. But the opportunity has to be there for them to go out and play football on loan. But it has to be the right club, it has to fit their style of football. I expect it to happen if the right club is found.”

Jurgen Klopp is known for trusting in young players and giving them opportunities when the time is right. In Doak’s case though, he is too inexperienced to get a starting spot right now.

And with Liverpool looking to make it a successful season, signings like Gakpo are incredibly important. So it is easy to understand why Klopp has opted to bring in the Dutchman mid-season.

It would be good for Doak to go to a Scottish club on loan. This would ensure he is comfortable as it is his home country – potentially allowing the starlet to flourish.

Alternatively, Doak might opt for a Championship move. Harvey Elliott spent a year at Blackburn before returning to Liverpool as a more mature player. Perhaps Doak could follow in his footsteps by getting a similar kind of loan.

The Championship is harsh on young players. But it is great for preparing them for life in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, a transfer insider has explained Virgil van Dijk’s role in the Gakpo deal.