Cody Gakpo joined Liverpool in the January of 2023 and enjoyed a mixed first season in England, but he could have played in the Premier League a few months earlier and he could now been a Saints legend if only he had not had his shooting boots on.
Leeds United news site motleedsnews.com has revealed an intriguing story about how in the summer of 2022 Cody Gakpo decided which club he would join.
He had originally been touted to join Manchester United, however when this fell through due to Financial Fair play rules, he was left with a choice between Southampton & Leeds United or staying at PSV Eindhoven.
PSV were playing Volendam on 31st August 2022 in the Eredivisie and Gakpo was still undecided what to do with only hours left of the transfer window.
Speaking to ESPN, he said:
"It was hectic, and it was difficult from a mental point of view. So, in the end I put it all in God's hands. If I scored once, I was going to Southampton; twice and I was going to Leeds; if I scored three, I was staying.”
On 25 minutes Gakpo scored from the penalty spot to make it 2-0 and he was now a Saints player if Volendam could prevent him scoring in the remaining 65 minutes.
he would be a Saints for just 14 minutes, when on 39 minutes he doubled his tally with a left footed shot so now St Mary's was not an option, just Elland Road or staying in Holland.
On51 minutes he had a shot that went in taking a heavy deflection and when he went off on 63 minutes he assumed that was the end of the matter and he was Elland Road bound.
Liverpool star Cody Gakpo has revealed why he opted against a move to Leeds United in the summer of 2022.
The 25-year-old is now a regular fixture in the Liverpool side, although he could have taken a different path into the Premier League. When he was still on the books of PSV, the Netherlands international attracted serious interest from Leeds and Southampton.
In the dying embers of the window, Gakpo decided against a switch to England and remained in his native Netherlands, later agreeing to join Liverpool in the next window.
Gakpo would have arguably been a significant coup for the Whites, who ended up suffering relegation to the Championship. The Elland Road faithful have now been left wondering what could have been, as Gakpo has explained how a single goal altered his course.
On August 31, 2022, PSV faced Volendam and Gakpo struck a hat-trick in a 7-1 victory. He had decided, before the match, he would join Leeds if he scored twice in the game.
Speaking to ESPN, he said: "It was hectic, and it was difficult from a mental point of view. So, in the end I put it all in God's hands. If I scored once, I was going to Southampton; twice and I was going to Leeds; if I scored three, I was staying.”
His third goal of the game was heavily deflected, therefore Gakpo was substituted thinking he was Elland Road-bound.
He said: "I was sitting next to one of my close friends [on the bench] Jordan Teze. He said ‘it's in God's hands if he decides it's an own goal or not’. And at the end, it was [given as] my goal, so then it was three. I couldn't have got a clearer sign."
So Gakpo remained in Holland and then joined Liverpool in the January transfer window.
Saints fans would get to see him play at St Mary's however, in our final game in the Premier League on the final day of the season and he would haunt Saints with what might have been scoring the 3rd Liverpool goal to reduce the arrears to 4-3 in the 72nd minute after Saints had lead 4-2 with under 20 minutes to go in what would turn out to be an entertaining 4-4 draw.
Both Saints & Leeds must be rueing the Volendam defence, if he had scored just the once and joined Southampton, then he could well have been the goal corer we so sorely missed in what would turn out to be a relegation season, likewise Leeds United who went down with us, but sadly for them could not repeat both our & Leicester's feat of going straight back up at the first attempt.