Cody Gakpo's words that move Klopp and thrill Anfield fans

Although the end of the 2022-2023 season was not what fans had hoped for, there is still reason to be excited about Liverpool's future as the Reds aim for a rebuild that can get us back into the Champions League as soon as possible. The first brick in that rebuild was the hiring of Cody Gakpo after his great showing at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Cody Gakpo raised interest from big teams in Europe, including FC Bayern and Real Madrid, however once again Jürgen Klopp worked his magic and convinced the 24-year-old to sign for the Merseyside outfit and brought him to Anfield for just €42 million, a figure well below the €60 million initially demanded by his former club PSV.

Since his arrival at Anfield, Gakpo has shown his great qualities and in a short time has won the hearts not only of the fans but also of the German tactician, who now considers him one of the key pieces for the club's future project. In addition, Klopp has had the vision to accommodate Cody Gakpo within his game scheme, trying him several times as a center forward, a position in which the Dutch player is not used to playing, but in which he has given good results.

Just look at Cody Gakpo's numbers since his arrival at Liverpool, as in just 21 games he scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists in the Premier League, one of the most difficult leagues to adapt to worldwide. Now, thanks to Gakpo's good performance as a goal scorer, the Netherlands national team will use him in that position during the Nations League semifinals against Croatia.

Gakpo's statement on his new role

Ahead of the Netherlands' match against Croatia, Cody Gakpo revealed that it was difficult for him to play in that position at first, but he acknowledged that thanks to Jürgen Klopp he is now convinced that being a striker is something he is very good at. "He [Jürgen Klopp] said what he wanted from me. In the beginning, of course, it took some getting used to, but I’ve enjoyed playing in that position in recent months", he said. "Now that I'm playing at Liverpool I think it's a nice position. I have become convinced that being a striker suits me".