Cody Gakpo reportedly sat down with Andoni Iraola for ‘clear-the-air talks’ after his move to Manchester City collapsed late in the summer transfer window.
Liverpool were working on deals to sign either or both Ismaila Sarr and Yankuba Minteh, but the Merseysiders ultimately decided to not sign either Premier League forward.
Keeping Gakpo was the common consensus best decision online, but that does not mean it is easy for the Dutch forward to accept.
Liverpool had to do what was best for the club, but Gakpo’s character has shone through in this difficult period. The arrival of Bradley Barcola means that he will struggle for game time on the left wing, and starts will likely come on the right wing, as we saw against Nottingham Forest.
Beth Lindop, Liverpool correspondent for ESPN, posted on X on Sunday about Gakpo cheering his teammates on from the bench in the last 10 minutes against Forest, praising the 27-year-old for not agitating for a move to City despite the off-the-pitch noise.
Huge credit to his character. He's always been a good egg but when things don't go your way, that's the true test. We've also had so much change that keeping someone like him that was around when Klopp was here is so valuable to what Iraola's trying to do tactically/culturally
— Michael Mongie (@MikeMongie) August 31, 2026
Today, Dutch newspaper Eindhovens Dagblad reports that Gakpo sat down with FSG for talks to discuss the frustrating end to the summer transfer window.
The report states: “Gakpo spoke with the owners of Liverpool yesterday, partly to clear the air. From now on, he will have to focus on the away match against Ipswich Town, which is scheduled for Friday.
“The fact that Gakpo’s transfer fell through came as a complete surprise. An agreement had been reached regarding the financial terms under which Gakpo was allowed to leave Liverpool.”
Gakpo did not deserve the undiluted criticism he received last season, regardless of how poor his performances were. The fact is that he was not the only player to regress in Arne Slot’s second season in charge. In fact, Dominik Szoboszlai is the only player who can argue that he improved over the course of the campaign.
Now, with Barcola on Merseyside, Gakpo’s chances of regular playing time will suffer, but that does not have to be the case.
Gakpo has a goal and an assist in the first two Premier League games of the season, so the form that diminished last season is certainly still there. If he can perform on the right, he will continue to get regular minutes ahead of Victor Munoz, who has been devastatingly effective off the bench.
Gakpo is also able to perform admirably as a No. 9, which will give Iraola the valuable option of resting Alexander Isak.