Liverpool star Cody Gakpo has moved to distance himself from speculation he could ditch the Reds and join Bayern Munich this summer, while the Dutch star has told supporters what to expect from his compatriot Jeremie Frimpong as he steps into the sizeable shoes vacated by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Reds have wasted little time in trying to strengthen Arne Slot’s Premier League title-winning squad. Liverpool acted swiftly to get a deal for Frimpong over the line by triggering the exit clause in his Bayer Leverkusen contract. And while negotiations over his teammate, Florian Wirtz, continue in an attempt to see an agreement reached, confidence is growing that a deal will soon be struck.
In the meantime, Liverpool are also working on the addition of another recruit in the form of Bournemouth full-back Milos Kerkez – with a big hint coming from his national side that that move is now just hours away.
However, it won’t be all one-way traffic at Anfield this summer. A deal has already been signed off for Caoimhin Kelleher to leave for Brentford and several more squad players are expected to move on this summer as Slot looks to build on the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp.
One man recently linked with a move away is Gakpo. The Dutchman was a near £40m investment by the Reds from PSV in January 2023, with the forward going on to score 41 times in 128 appearances for the Reds.
And while his performances enhanced under the watchful eye of his compatriot, Slot, that has not stopped rumours gathering pace that he could be offloaded this summer to Bayern Munich in a high-profile deal.
The 39-times capped Netherlands star, though, has issued a blunt 24-word response to claims he could switch to the Bundesliga champions.
“I haven’t heard anything about it myself. I’m closing myself off from it,” he told the media while on international duty.
“Maybe my agent has heard something, but I’m focusing on myself.”
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Gakpo tells Liverpool what to expect from Jeremie Frimpong
With Gakpo’s energies and focus remaining on Liverpool, Reds supporters will be hoping to see further improvements from the 26-year-old next season after Slot seemed able to raise his game from that previously witnessed under Klopp.
Indeed, the winger very much credits Slot with improving his game at Anfield, as he explained earlier this year.
“I think he offered me a lot. The first thing he did was change my position slightly, so back to the left,” the former PSV man said.
“That was maybe a small change on paper, but for me it was a big change.
“Then I had to come into the team as well, and he gave me the chance to show myself.
“Obviously, he’s trying to help me to develop myself in moments in the game, how to be smarter, how to be better, how to get yourself more in scoring positions and giving the decisive pass and everything like this.
“He’s helping me a lot. The manager and the staff, they try to help everybody, and I think everybody can see a lot of players are developing well.”
Gakpo also reckons his Netherlands teammate Frimpong will prove a shrewd addition for the Reds.
Speaking about what his compatriot can bring to Merseyside, he added:
“For us, Jeremie is a very good addition,” he said. “With his speed and quality.
“But also because of his position, because Trent [Alexander-Arnold] is no longer with us.”
Liverpool transfer latest: Slot sweats on Wirtz deal; Alisson future decision
Elsewhere on the outgoing front, a recent Liverpool signing already wants to quit the club andFabrizio Romano has revealed why, along with where he’s expected to go.
The Reds, meanwhile, will continue talks with Leverkusen this week as they look to finally settle on a transfer fee for Wirtz, but while Slot will be praying the club’s fourth and ‘final’ offer will be accepted, the Dutchman has at least been advised that his signing will be worth every penny.
And finally, Alisson Becker has revealed what he expects to happen with his future at Anfield and the potential next move he’s already gathering information about.
How Gakpo has raised his game at Liverpool under Slot
Cody Gakpo under Klopp v under Slot: Appearances 79 v 49 Goals 23 v 18 Assists 10 v 7 Minutes per goal 213 v 151
Cody Gakpo stats by coach