Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has suggested Cody Gakpo’s move to Liverpool may have come at the wrong time as it is really difficult for a young player to adapt to a new league in a team that is struggling.
Gakpo arrived at Anfield from PSV in January after shining for Netherlands at the World Cup in Qatar, coming with a lofty reputation thanks to his performances for club and country.
It has been a slow start for him in England, with no goals in his first six appearances for the Reds, but he is playing in a team that is not firing on all cylinders.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are 10th in the Premier League after a 3-0 defeat to Wolves last time out and Koeman feels it is making the Liverpool move especially difficult for Gakpo.
‘He has ended up in a team that is not doing well’ Koeman said on Andy van der Meyde’s YouTube channel Bij Andy in de auto. ‘If you don’t score or you’re not important and you don’t win any matches, it’s very difficult, especially for a young player. If that was someone aged 28, with experience, it would be different.
‘The level in England is higher than in the Netherlands. But they are also young boys, aren’t they? Like [Ryan] Gravenberch going to Bayern [Munich] and not playing. Then that is difficult.’
Koeman is not the only person to air this point of view, with former PSV bos Aad de Mos also feeling Gakpo has moved to Anfield at the wrong time.
‘He arrives at a time when the team is disappointing a bit,’ the former Ajax, Anderlecht and Werder Bremen boss told Soccernews.nl.
‘The spirit is completely gone and they are not among the best teams at the moment just like Chelsea.
‘Liverpool are trying to get back on track at the moment and it’s not a time for young players coming in, so I don’t know if the time is right to go to Liverpool now.
‘Also, maybe Jurgen Klopp is leaving soon. But Liverpool got him quite cheap because PSV is in a need right now to stay out of red numbers.’
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