AFTV - Transfer Profile: Cody Gakpo

 
Cody Gakpo

AFTV - Transfer Profile: Cody Gakpo

By Jack Lacey-Hatton

Whether Arsenal make it back to the UEFA Champions League or not this season, reinforcements in the offensive department are a must this summer. 

And reports are now gathering pace that the first arrival is already all but sealed, as the club looks to get ahead of the market and do their business early. 

Cody Gakpo has been on the of the standout stars in the Eredivisie this season and a number of top clubs around Europe now have him on their radar, including Arsenal.

He could be plying his football in North London next season so let’s take a look Gakpo in greater detail.

Who is Gakpo? 

Born in Eindhoven in May 1999, Cody Gakpo was raised in the district of PSV’s Philips Stadion. 

Perhaps inevitably, the 22-year-old has spent his entire playing career so far at his hometown club, although the majority of his appearances so far have come for Jong PSV, their reserve team who play in the second tier of Dutch football.

He was first called up to the senior squad back in 2018 by first team coach Mark van Bommel originally shadowing another attacking player who made the move to North London, Steven Bergwijn.

Although he mainly turned out for the second string that season, he was given greater opportunities during 2020-21 campaign, finishing with 11 goals in 29 appearances.

Gakpo prefers to start high and wide on the left wing, and using his skill and agility to cut inside on his right foot a la Riyad Mahrez. 

His true breakthrough has come this season, where he’s been one of the best players in the Dutch top flight, scoring 16 goals while registering a further 15 assists at the time of writing.

How would he improve Arsenal?

Although Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will be difficult to dislodge next season, the likely return of European football means manager Mikel Arteta will need greater strength in depth in attacking areas.

Arteta and Edu will also be well aware they still need to replace the goal involvements of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang since his abrupt move to Barcelona in January. 

Although not a like-for-like replacement Gakpo would help fill some of the void left by the former club captain’s departure. 

With both Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah also likely to be heading for the exit door in the summer when their contracts are up, forward reinforcements are crucial. 

If he can adapt quickly to the pace and physicality of English football – which is always a question mark hanging over new recruits from the Eredivisie – Gakpo would be an exciting addition.

Verdict – should we sign him? 

As a tall (6 ft 2) powerful wide attacker, Gakpo would bring real variation to Arsenal’s attacking set-up.

He is quick enough for the Premier League and, as he has shown this season, knows where the goal is. 

At PSV, Gakpo plays in a 4-2-3-1 system fairly similar to the one employed by Mikel Arteta this season and in theory would be able to slot into the team without any issues. 

His current manager Roger Schmidt has managed to set his team-up to get the best out of Gakpo, and although he may not receive such luxuries at the Emirates, he would still be a worthy addition to this exciting, young Gunners team.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Popular posts from this blog

What have we learned from Arsenal's pre-season so far?

Image
  Arsenal – what have we learned from pre-season? By Jack Lacey-Hatton It only feels five minutes since Euro 2020, but incredibly we are just one week away from the new Premier League season starting. Arsenal will travel to newly promoted Brentford for a London derby in front of a noisy crowd next Friday night, not the easiest of starts to the new campaign. But what sort of shape are Mikel Arteta’s side in, going into what could be a defining season for the manager? We took a close look at what we have learnt from the pre-season period and what kind of shape the squad are in.   The new signings are ready to go It has been a mixed transfer window so far. Some fans would have expected more both leaving and arriving at the Emirates stadium over the summer. But positives can be taken - Ben White has arrived from Brighton for £50million, and highly-rated full back Nuno Tavares has come in from Benfica. Albert Sambi Lokonga completes the 2021 summer singings so far. Cruc...
Read more

Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves

Image
Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves By Jonny Bray It is hard to believe that Ruben Neves is still only 25-years-old.   It feels as if the Portuguese international has been tipped for big things for nearly a decade now.  With the midfielder out of contract in 2023, it appears his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers could be coming to an end.  Understandably, with a player like Neves on offer for a reduced price, clubs around Europe are queueing up to secure the international's signature.  So, after all this time, should Arsenal move for Ruben Neves now, or is it time for the Gunners to turn their attention to a new target?  What would he bring?  Arsenal do not have enough defensive midfielders.  Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka give Mikel Arteta plenty of midfield options going forward, but the Gunners have been found lacking when out of possession this season. Thomas Partey has been in and out of the side due to injuries, a fact that has not hel...
Read more

Where will Arsenal finish this season?

Image
Where will Arsenal finish this season? By Alec McQuarrie Arsenal have made steady improvement over the last few seasons under Mikel Arteta. After finishing 8th in his debut season, the Spaniard oversaw a five-point improvement in his first full campaign.  And last year an eight-point leap followed, which was unfortunately not enough to pip Tottenham to fourth place.  Cruelly, the 69 points accumulated would have been enough to seal Champions League qualification in the previous two seasons.  Looking at the trajectory over the Arteta era, it would be fair to assume a continued improvement this coming season.  After all, with five signings already secured this summer and Alexandre Lacazette the sole first-team player to depart, surely fourth place should be a bare minimum expectation.  Oleksandr Zinchenko offers much-needed cover at left-back and competition for central midfield.  Gabriel Jesus is a proven goalscorer and brings a tireless work-ethic to fulfil...
Read more