Cody Gakpo has been in fine form for Liverpool this season, but the forward admits he understands the criticism he received last term as the Reds struggled, and has addressed the Man City transfer that nearly took him away from Anfield
AMSTERDAM - Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands during the UEFA Nations League match between the Netherlands and Germany at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on September 24, 2026 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. MAURICE VAN STEEN / ANP (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)
Cody Gakpo came close to leaving Liverpool during the summer(Image: Getty Images)
Cody Gakpo has admitted he understands why he became a target for criticism during his difficult spell last season at Liverpool, while also addressing speculation over a potential summer departure from the club.
The Dutch forward has been one of the standout performers in the early stages of new Reds head coach Andoni Iraola's tenure, netting twice and registering four assists across six appearances so far this season.
The 27-year-old carried his impressive club form into the international break, scoring a stunning late equalizer to secure the Netherlands a 1-1 draw against Germany in the UEFA Nations League opener on Thursday.
This represents a remarkable turnaround from last season, when Gakpo was amongst several players who faced social media abuse and jeers from within Anfield as Liverpool endured a torrid campaign under Arne Slot, reports the Liverpool Echo.
When pressed on whether such treatment was unjust, he responded: "I don't know, because if you are at a big club like Liverpool, you need to perform.
"I don't want to speak about somebody else or other players but, me, I know I could do much better than I did last year.
"So, I don't know if it's unfair. Maybe it was. But I get it from one point because at Liverpool, you need to win, you need to perform, you need to show that you are one of the best clubs in the world. We didn't do that last year - me included."
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Gakpo received a warm reception from the Kop upon scoring in his most recent Anfield appearance during the Carabao Cup triumph over Tottenham Hotspur, saying: "Yes, I appreciated that."
Speaking to The Times, the forward always said it was "spot on" that he had decided to take on a fresh challenge in the summer - Tottenham had shown sustained interest and Manchester City were prepared to pay $113 million (£85M) for his services - before Liverpool made clear it wanted him to remain as the September 1 deadline approached.
Gakpo was also questioned about the summer period when, while representing the Netherlands at the World Cup in the United States, his partner shared their baby boy had died during pregnancy.
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo being interviewed after the UEFA Nations League group phase match between Netherlands and Germany on September 24 2026
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo being interviewed after the UEFA Nations League group phase match between Netherlands and Germany on September 24 2026(Image: Alexander Hassenstein - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
"I don't know if you want to go there because it doesn't make any sense now to speak about this," he said. "But it was a difficult summer for me and my family, and everything surrounding football and life.
"I just let it come and it ended how it ended. I cannot choose. So then I have to just try to do what I'm good at, and that's playing football. I can be very worried about everything that could happen, or that didn't happen, or whatever, but that wouldn't help the situation.
"Some things are out of our hands, and we have to do the things we can control to the best of our ability. That's the only thing I can do. I just want to enjoy my life with my family and friends, and my life playing football with my team-mates (with the Netherlands) and at the club."