Liverpool star Cody Gakpo has opened up about his failed move to Manchester City in the summer. He further explained that it was a tough summer for him and his family.
In the summer, Gakpo and his partner, Noa van der Bij, announced that their son, Elijah Raphael, had died during pregnancy. The Netherlands star was at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the time. Following his return, he was heavily linked with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
However, a potential move broke down in the end. Liverpool failed to sign Yankuba Minteh or Ismaila Sarr, which led them to keep Gakpo. The winger recently opened up about it in an interview with The Telegraph, saying:
“I don’t know if you want to go there [in detail] because it doesn’t make any sense now to speak about this. But it was a difficult summer for me, and my family, and everything surrounding football and life. So, yes, I just let it happen, and it ended the way it ended."
“Yes, [it is the life of a footballer]. I cannot choose. 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, would it?" he added.
The Liverpool star added that the summer was "very tough". He said that he just wants to "enjoy my life with my family and friends" and play "football with my teammates here and at the club.”
Cody Gakpo has started brilliantly for Liverpool this season
While there was plenty of speculation about his future this summer, Liverpool would be glad to have kept Cody Gakpo at the club. He has arguably been their best attacker in the 2026-27 campaign after seven games. He has scored two goals and provided four assists in six games across competitions.
Gakpo scored in the Reds' 2-2 draw against Newcastle United in their opening Premier League game. He then provided one assist in their 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest and two assists in their 2-0 win over Ipswich Town. He also contributed one goal and one assist in Liverpool's EFL Cup Third Round win (3-1) over Tottenham Hotspur.
Gakpo has also carried this form to the international stage, scoring in their 1-1 draw against Germany on September 24. They will next face Serbia away on September 27 in the UEFA Nations League.