Liverpool have been one of the most disappointing teams in European football this season, because they spent more money than anyone else to add superstar talent to an attack that already won Arne Slot the Premier League in his first season as manager.
And it says something about the quality of the new manager that in his second season replacing Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool have taken a step backwards despite insane investment, with Slot’s most memorable moment of the 2025/26 season being his ridiculous feud with Premier League GOAT candidate Mohamed Salah, who was the league’s best player just a season ago.
Meanwhile, on the left flank, Slot continues to play favorites, discarding a clearly superior Federico Chiesa in favor of Dutch compatriot Cody Gakpo, who has been the face of mediocrity and the clear weak link of an otherwise strong Liverpool attack.
Gakpo is holding back better players from getting minutes, and when Liverpool fans watch Luis Diaz play at a close to Ballon d’Or level for Bayern Munich this season after his transfer, it makes the decision look even worse.
Although Gakpo had four key passes in a recent 6-0 blowout win over Qarabag, he was actually, once again, the weak link of the Liverpool attack. Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, and even Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson all had a markedly better attacking impact than Gakpo.
The problem with Gakpo is that he makes some decent passes, but his goal threat and overall end product on the final scoreline are lacking. Most importantly, Gakpo cannot offer the width, dribbling progression, or one on one chops that are necessary from the left wing across from Salah.
It still has not hit Slot yet that Gakpo is not good enough to be the starting winger for a club like Liverpool that wants to win the Champions League. Compare him to the other contenders’ left wingers, including Diaz at Bayern, and it’s obvious that Gakpo is a step below that of a top starter.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.