The World Cup is in full swing and the matches are coming thick and fast. Manchester United have players all around this tournament and some of them have already had great first performances at the tournament. The entire England contingent made their impact in England’s 6-2 win over Iran, with Maguire, Shaw and Rashford all starring for the Three Lions. Bruno Fernandes was the key man for Portugal against Ghana, with two assists and the crucial point in the match. But this World Cup is also the opportunity for clubs to see potentially new signings. And it seems Man United have found one, according to media reports.
This tournament comes in November and December, which is an unusual period of the year to watch this kind of competition. However, the World Cup is also happening just before the January transfer window opens and this means many players could be increasing their value with strong performances in Qatar. Cody Gakpo is certainly one of them, and according the media reports, Manchester United will be doing their best to sign the young Dutch star.
Cody Gakpo is the 23-yera-old forward who has had a great season for PSV Eindhoven this season. He went into the World Cup with 13 goals and 17 assists in all competitions, making it almost impossible to imagine how he managed to have 30 goals and assists before the club season stopped midway through November. He then started the World Cup in similar fashion, scoring two goals in opening two matches. Gakpo first scored the Netherlands’ first goal in the tournament, ultimately scoring the winning goal against Senegal. Then, in the second match, he scored the opener again, this time against a really good Ecuador side, which later on managed to earn a draw.
Due to all of this, but also Man United’s struggles in the striking position, the Red Devils are open for making a move for Gakpo in January. He was the player United were interested in last summer, when the club spoke to Gakpo about a potential move. Back then, it was all about either getting him or Antony, with United choosing to spend 85 million pounds on the Brazilian. Since, Gakpo has been only doing better and better, and if United really go after him in January 2023, they will have to pay a much higher price than it would have been the case last summer.
The reason Man United are in an extensive search for a striker is the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. His huge wages are not there anymore, opening up the space for a new player, but also, his departure leaves one option less in an already not-so-stacked attack. United now only have Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford as the options in the lone striker role. Martial has been struggling the entire season with injuries, while Rashford did score eight goals so far – but none of them when he actually played as the striker. Some media reports even claim United have reached an agreement in principle for the player, but we will have to wait for the end of the World Cup first. Then a new player from Dutch Eredivisie could be on his way to Old Trafford.
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