Leeds United remain interested in a move to bring Cody Gakpo to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato, who claim that, following a number of reports linking Victor Orta with a move for the PSV Eindhoven winger this summer, the Spaniard could now launch a move for the 23-year-old prior to Saturday’s Premier League curtain raiser against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The report goes on to state that the Whites – as well as Arsenal – are very attentive to the situation of the Netherlands international, for whom the Eredivisie side are believed to be demanding a figure in the region of €30m (£25m) to part with ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
“Enormous talent”
When taking into account just how exciting a prospect Gakpo undoubtedly is, coupled with the sheer number of top-level clubs being linked with the winger this summer – including Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur – it is undeniable that, should Orta manage to get a deal over the line for the Dutchman this summer, it would be a “supreme” signing for the Whites.
Indeed, over his 27 Eredivisie fixtures in 2021/22, the £27m-rated talent was one of the league’s standouts performers, showing exactly what he’d offer Leeds in the final third if a move was made. He scored 12 goals, registered 13 assists and created 11 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.0 shots, making 2.6 key passes and completing 2.9 dribbles per game.
These returns saw the £7.4k-per-week forward average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.51, not only ranking him as PSV’s best performer in the division but also as the fourth-best player in the Dutch top flight as a whole.
The 23-year-old attacker also impressed over his four Europa League fixtures last term, bagging two goals and creating two big chances for his teammates – with his average SofaScore match rating of 7.47 ranking him as the fourth-best player in the tournament.
It was a similar story over his five appearances in the Europa Conference League last season, scoring three goals, registering one assist and creating one big chance – with his average SofaScore match rating of 7.42 ranking him as the joint tenth-best player in the competition.
As such, it is clear to see just how impressive a signing the player Wierd Duk labelled an “enormous talent” would be for the Whites, especially considering the fact Jesse Marsch has already lost the services of Leeds’ former wide-attacking wonder Raphinha this summer.
Indeed, when taking into account that the Brazilian’s sale saw the club rake in around £55m, signing both the £21m Luis Sinisterra and the £25m Gakpo as his replacements – all while having £9m to spare – would indeed represent a fantastic piece of business by Orta and his transfer team.
