Liverpool agree to sign World Cup star Gakpo from PSV for reported £37M

Liverpool, seemingly out of nowhere, reached an agreement with PSV Eindhoven to sign Cody Gakpo, the Dutch side announced Monday.

The Premier League club will pay an initial £37-million fee for the versatile attacker, plus £13 million in add-ons, reports transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

PSV didn’t reveal the terms of the transfer, but general manager Marcel Brands said it was a “record” sale for the Eredivisie outfit. The club’s previous record departure was Hirving Lozano’s 2019 move to Napoli, which was reportedly worth around £39 million.

Gakpo, 23, will travel to England imminently to undergo a medical and finalize his move to Anfield.

He’s fresh off an impressive showing at the World Cup in Qatar, where he led the Netherlands to the quarterfinals by scoring three goals in five matches. Between club and country, Gakpo has been directly involved in 35 goals this season; he leads the Eredivisie with nine tallies on the campaign despite playing primarily on the left wing.

Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp were looking to bolster their attacking options in the wake of injuries to Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.

The Dutch forward was heavily linked with Manchester United in recent months. However, the Red Devils never submitted an official offer to PSV, according to Romano.

Leeds United nearly signed Gakpo on the final day of the summer transfer window but couldn’t close the deal, reports David Ornstein of The Athletic. His stock has since soared, culminating with the switch to Liverpool.