Premier League: Liverpool beat Manchester United in a transfer deal and have an eye on England's star midfielder
Liverpool have outdone Manchester United in their pursuit of signing winger Cody Gakpo as the Reds have struck up a deal with PSV for a fee of around £37 million.
Cody Gakpo will be at Liverpool in 2023.Both parties are now close to sealing the deal and confirming his arrival in January. PSV have not revealed the deal's value, but according to general manager Marcel Brands, it could be a "record" transfer.
In the wake of the agreement being finalised, the Dutch club stated: "PSV and Liverpool FC have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo.
"The 23-year-old attacker will leave for England imminently where he will be subjected to the necessary formalities ahead of the completion of the transfer."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We have reached an agreement for the transfer of Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven, subject to a work permit, and the forward will join at the start of the January transfer window 🙌</p>— Liverpool FC (@LFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LFC/status/1608205766904750083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gakpo entered the top football ranks by scoring three goals for the Netherlands before losing to eventual champions Argentina in the quarterfinals at the World Cup.
As Colombia international Luis Diaz looks at a long break ahead of him due to a knee injury sustained during a midseason training session in Dubai, the Reds are rushing to secure a suitable replacement and improve their frontline.
The left-sided forward was heavily linked with Leeds and Southampton during the summer. Right before the window closed, United manager Erik ten Hag decided to make a move for the player.
They made another attempt in January after the club announced their separation from Cristiano Ronaldo in November. However, Liverpool have thwarted United's try again after beating them to attain Darwin Nunez's signature in June.
Unlike Gakpo's confirmed arrival, England midfielder Jude Bellingham's signing hangs on a thread. He has reportedly revealed his desire to join Real Madrid despite Jurgen Klopp's voracious desire to sign him.
Borussia Dortmund might offload him for an estimated amount of £ 100 million as his value shot up after the Qatar World Cup. Klopp will be disheartened to know of Bellingham's desire to move to the Bernabeu.
In Qatar, the youngster was spotted sharing a good relationship with his teammates Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who are star players of Liverpool.
World Cup star Enzo Fernandez addresses his future
As Europe elite's desperately intensified their bid to sign Benfica's World Cup star Enzo Fernandez, he has reportedly told his agent to put a hold on his transfer plans.
Liverpool and Manchester United are actively pursuing the player, but Fernandes is now working on securing a Benfica exit before moving on to another club.
Fernandez caused a stir in the World Cup, where he played against France in the final and was named the tournament's best young player. The 21-year-old expressed his interest in joining United over Real Madrid and Liverpool.
He recently moved to Lisbon in the summer from River Plate, but his agent is reportedly toiling away in hopes of securing another transfer. Benfica's release clause exceeds the £100m mark, so a record transfer might be in the cards for either United or Liverpool.
When asked about his plans, Fernandez said: "I don't know about my future or proposals, that's what my representative is taking care of."
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