Cody Gakpo: The Dutch PSV gem that has the attention of Manchester United and Real Madrid

Those who follow the Dutch Eredivisie or international football surely know Cody Gakpo. At the World Cup in Qatar, where the Netherlands made it to the quarterfinals, Gakpo impressed everyone with his abilities as a goal-scorer.

The group phase of the Qatar tournament was an international showcase of Gakpo's talent: In each of his first three World Cup games, he scored.

As Voetbalzone states, "Gakpo became only the second player ever to give his team a 1-0 lead three times in one World Cup group stage, after Italian Alessandro Altobelli in 1986."

Voetbalzone also comments on the versatility of his strikes. "The PSV outfielder, acting as a number 10 or striker in a two-man forward during this World Cup, scored goals against Senegal, Ecuador, and Qatar. He did so with left, right, and head."

Cody Gakpo not only made goals for the team led by Louis van Gaal, but he was also a benchmark in the collective attack, giving assists and passes to his teammates.

Cody Gakpo is a total player who is learning from one of the best forwards ever: Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The PSV Eindhoven coach has recognized Cody Gakpo's talent and made him the cornerstone of his team, showing him the paths to goals that he himself found with great ease.

In fact, in the 2021/2022 season, Cody Gakpo's figures were noteworthy, with 21 goals and 15 assists. He has the vision of the game to make the last pass for someone else to score if the team needs it.

Curiously, Van Nistelrooy played for Manchester United and Real Madrid, the two teams that are most likely to hire Cody Gakpo.

Obviously, with his performance in the World Cup, several clubs will try to take the PSV striker. At 23 years old, he has a glorious future ahead of him.

Manchester United, for one, continues with its tough journey through the desert. During events like this World Cup, they must make an extra effort to attract talent and excite a crowd that has been disappointed for years.

At the same time, Real Madrid has put Cody Gakpo's name on the agenda. The team of Juni Calafat (in the photo), director of International Soccer at Real Madrid, has been following his evolution for some time.

The Madrid scouts wanted to see how Cody Gakpo would hold his own in a big event like the World Cup in Qatar. The results have been quite good, despite his young age and lack of experience.

Among Cody Gakpo's many virtues is that he can start from any forward position, be it a winger, striker, or attacking midfielder.

Despite his height (189 cm), Cody Gakpo possesses tremendous quality with the ball at his feet, which allows him to always consider two options near the area: shoot or look for a teammate in a better position.

Louis van Gaal knew it and he exploited the versatility of Gakpo with success.

The only game that proved (too) difficult for the young player was the brutal quarter-final against the legends of Argentina.

Real Madrid is said to consider signing Gakpo because Karim Benzema has not fully recovered to play in the Spanish team. However, is Gakpo up to the task of substituting Benzema?

As of today, Cody Gakpo has a market value of 45 million euros (or 38 million pounds) according to Transfermarket. However, if several big clubs enter into a bid, this number could go up.

In fact, reports from Real Madrid estimate that the final figure for his transfer could be around 100 million euros (86 million pounds), all the more so because the PSV board is a notoriously tough negotiator.

Cody Gakpo has a special link with PSV Eindhoven. He has played with the club from a young age. His current contract runs until the summer of 2026. Getting him out of PSV will be expensive for whoever manages to do so.