Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has expressed concerns about Cody Gakpo's position and believes the Reds may regret two recent transfer decisions involving Luis Diaz and Marc Guehi
Paul Wheelock Head of sport
12:56, 10 Feb 2026
Emile Heskey has offered his opinion
Emile Heskey has offered his opinion(Image: Getty Images)
Former Liverpool star Emile Heskey has suggested that Cody Gakpo is not being utilized in his optimal position.
He also believes his old club may rue a couple of transfer decisions. Gakpo netted 16 and 18 goals respectively in all competitions during his first two full seasons at Liverpool. Although he's on track to hit double figures again this season, his form, like many of his colleagues in what has been a challenging campaign, has dipped.
Meanwhile, Luis Diaz, who used to share left-wing duties with Gakpo for the Reds, is thriving at Bayern Munich. His hat-trick on Sunday took his tally to 28 goal contributions for the Bundesliga champions since his move from Liverpool last summer.
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Heskey said: "Liverpool miss Luis Diaz on the left-hand side. He gave them that relentlessness with chasing and hassling, and was really good at taking players on and making defenders feel like they've got no time to think.
"I feel that Liverpool had grown used to having players like Diaz and Sadio Mane on the left, who were both persistent in their pressing. They now have Cody Gakpo in that position, who is a totally different player to both, and the fans are probably wondering why he can't do what Diaz and Mane did for years.
"I see Gakpo as a striker or attacking midfielder and not a left winger, so there's clearly a question of whether he's a good enough fit for the position at the moment."
Cody Gakpo isn't having his best season at Liverpool
Cody Gakpo isn't having his best season at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool was initially hesitant to let Diaz depart following an outstanding season in which he netted 17 goals across all competitions, contributing to the club's Premier League title win in Arne Slot's inaugural season at the helm. A bid from Barcelona was outrightly rejected in June, and a subsequent approach and offer from Bayern were also dismissed.
However, Liverpool's stance softened when Munich returned with a second offer for the 28-year-old, who had already expressed his determination to leave after rejecting two new contract proposals.
Liverpool deemed the deal too lucrative to pass up for a player of Diaz's age, with only seven players aged 28 or over having fetched a higher fee in soccer history than the amount the Reds received from the sale.
The Reds did bolster their attacking line-up with the high-profile signings of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike. However, their efforts to reinforce their senior defensive options were thwarted on transfer deadline day in the summer when a deal for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi fell through.
Guehi subsequently signed for Manchester City in the January transfer window and reminded Liverpool of his prowess with an impressive performance in Sunday's clash at Anfield. And Heskey, who scored 60 goals in 223 appearances for the Reds, clinching four major honors, has questioned why the reigning champions did not compete with City for the England star's signature last month.
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"Marc Guehi is a fantastic player and I'm very disappointed Liverpool didn't follow up with their summer offer to buy him in January," Heskey said to aGamble.
"For him to turn up at Manchester City last month made me think, 'What's happened there?' - because I thought Liverpool had the deal under control even when it didn't go through last year.
"He's a very solid and intelligent defender who understands how to slow games down, but also how to build up play from the back. He came from Chelsea's academy, so obviously has the experience and understanding of playing for a big club. It's so frustrating watching him play well for another club and potentially being the difference maker in games like that."