Cody Gakpo's World Cup Impact and Liverpool Future

Cody Gakpo walked off the pitch with two more World Cup goals to his name and a question hanging in the air.

How does his role with the Netherlands compare to life at Liverpool?

“A good question. Obviously it's a little bit different,” he said, before hinting at the real issue. “It's different where the coach wants me to be, the freedom that I have.” Then he stopped himself.

That pause said plenty.

A left wing crowded in red

Gakpo’s latest international statement came at the end of a week that could reshape his Liverpool future. The club have just spent £34.5m on Victor Munoz from Osasuna, another left-sided winger. They are also pushing hard for Yan Diomande, the highly rated 19-year-old RB Leipzig forward, in a package worth around £86m. Diomande can play on both flanks.

Two potential signings, both comfortable in Gakpo’s territory.

For a 27-year-old who has largely been first choice when fit, the message is clear: nothing is guaranteed.

Under Arne Slot in Liverpool’s 2024-25 title-winning season, Gakpo looked every inch a long-term pillar of the attack. He finished with 18 goals and seven assists in 49 games across all competitions, form that earned him a long-term contract last summer. By all accounts, he was delighted to sign it.

Then came last season. Three more games, but only nine goals and six assists. A dip, and not just for him. Liverpool’s attack stuttered, the whole unit misfiring. Still, Gakpo will know those numbers need to climb again if he is to fend off the new wave.

Chemistry still under construction

Gakpo’s preference is no secret. He wants that left channel, cutting inside, dictating from the half-space. Yet the 2025-26 campaign exposed how raw his partnership with Milos Kerkez remained, especially when it came to exploiting the full-back’s overlapping runs.

The understanding did grow as the season wore on. Now Kerkez is back under his old Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, and expectations around the Hungary international are rising fast. A sharper, more confident Kerkez surging outside him could be exactly what Gakpo needs.

If that relationship clicks, it changes the whole picture on the left.

The numbers still underline his value. Fifty goals in 180 appearances make him only the second Dutchman after Dirk Kuyt to hit a half-century for Liverpool. The club still see him as a proven Premier League attacker, adaptable and reliable, especially with Hugo Ekitike potentially out until 2027 with a ruptured Achilles.

That injury gives Iraola another reason to keep Gakpo close. His ability to play centrally is no longer a luxury; it’s a genuine option in a squad light on strikers.

Salah gone, pressure rising

Mohamed Salah has departed. That alone guarantees at least one more attacking arrival at Anfield this summer. The chase for Diomande is intensifying, and the depth chart is already shifting.

Teenager Rio Ngumoha is expected to step into a more prominent role. Florian Wirtz, who was used off the left at times last season and is playing there for Germany at the World Cup, adds another wrinkle. Where Iraola decides Wirtz fits best could directly shape Gakpo’s future.

If Wirtz becomes the preferred left-sided creator, Gakpo may find himself nudged inside or rotated more often. If Iraola sees Wirtz centrally, Gakpo’s path to that left flank opens up again.

Gakpo has responded to competition before. When Luis Diaz was at his peak in Liverpool red, the Dutchman found another level. He may need to do that again.

Yet for the first time since his arrival from PSV Eindhoven in December 2022, the possibility of a move away is real. Several clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, are monitoring the situation. Any deal would likely start north of £60m, a hefty profit on the initial £35m Liverpool paid after the 2022 World Cup.

World Cup reminder

Against Sweden, Gakpo offered a sharp reminder of why that valuation is no stretch.

His first goal was all about timing, a simple tap-in at the back post that looked easy only because he read the play quicker than anyone else. The second was pure Gakpo: cut in from the left, open the angle, drill a right-footed shot home. Trademark.

On a night when club team-mate Alexander Isak failed to score, Gakpo’s authority stood out.

His World Cup record now reads five goals in seven games across the 2022 and current tournaments. In total, he has 23 goals in 52 caps for the Netherlands since his debut five years ago. Those are not the numbers of a fringe player. They are the numbers of a man who delivers when the stage is big.

Inside the Dutch camp, his influence stretches beyond the pitch. He plays a key role off it, particularly among the Christians in the squad.

“Cody is our pastor – he leads the prayers,” revealed Crysencio Summerville.

On the field, there is no doubt in the mind of Virgil van Dijk, captain for both Netherlands and Liverpool. After the 5-1 win over Sweden, he was unequivocal.

“He is an outstanding footballer. He works so hard for the team, he's disciplined and his quality stands out – his crosses, his assists, his goals.”

Performances like this World Cup campaign can only strengthen Liverpool’s desire to keep him, at least in the short term. They also offer a stark contrast to the struggles of big-money arrivals trying to adapt. Isak and Wirtz both laboured in their debut seasons at Anfield, a reminder of how unforgiving the transition can be.

A summer decision looming

As Iraola and Liverpool’s recruitment team rip up and redraw an attack that faltered last season, Gakpo sits at the heart of the debate.

Keep him as the flexible, battle-tested forward who already knows the demands of Anfield? Or cash in at peak value to fund a younger, more explosive rebuild on the wings?

For now, Gakpo’s gaze is fixed on the orange shirt, not the red one. His goals, his leadership, his calm presence in a unified Netherlands squad have set the tone for another major tournament.

When the World Cup ends, the questions will come back, louder this time.

In a Liverpool attack being rebuilt piece by piece, is Cody Gakpo the foundation stone – or the sacrifice that makes the rest of the project possible?