"You also have to be realistic" - PSV chief reveals how much Liverpool and Arsenal target Cody Gakpo will cost in the transfer market

PSV Eindhoven director Marcel Brands has said that Liverpool and Arsenal target Cody Gakpo could be the club’s record transfer, adding that the bidding for him would start at €40million. Hirving Lozano, who joined Napoli for a €45 million fee in the summer of 2019, is currently PSV's record departure.

Netherlands star Gakpo had a remarkable campaign at the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The PSV Eindhoven forward scored thrice in five games, emerging as the team’s leading scorer at the tournament.

Given his performances on the big stage, the Arsenal and Liverpool-linked midfielder is unlikely to come for cheap. Brands has now revealed how much teams might have to pay to get the 23-year-old sharpshooter. He said (via HITC):

“You also have to be realistic. When you talk about Cody Gakpo, how many clubs are able to buy a player of that calibre? You are talking about maybe 10 or 12 clubs in Europe. You have to need a player in that position, and be able and willing to spend the money in January. We have yet to see if it happens.”

Brands added:

“He has no (release) clause or anything. No amounts have been agreed either. It must be a record transfer for PSV anyway, so then you know in which direction it is going. Over 40 million euros (£35 million).”

It's understood that PSV turned down a €40.74 million bid from Leeds United in the summer. As per Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool sent scouts to watch Gakpo in action in Qatar but are yet to schedule a meeting with his agents.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are also attentive and see him as an affordable alternative to Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykhaylo Mudryk. Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United are in the mix too. With so many suitors lining up, PSV would be well within their rights to demand a substantial fee for their forward.

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Former Liverpool man Ryan Babel offers Cody Gakpo Premier Leaguea advice ahead of potential move

Ryan Babel, who joined the Reds from Ajax in 2009, has cautioned Cody Gakpo ahead of his potential switch to the Premier League.

With Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United lining up, it is easy for a player as young as Gakpo to get carried away. Babel has warned Gakpo that it might not be easy for him to adapt to the English top flight.

For The Athletic, he wrote:

“When you are a young Dutch player, it is flattering to be linked to big clubs in England, but going from the Dutch league to the Premier League is a big step. Not every player is able to adapt and able to survive in the Premier League. There are a lot of players who are written as the next star, then they go to the Premier League, and they can’t cope.”

Gakpo has been firing on all cylinders in the Eredivisie this season, scoring nine goals and claiming 12 assists in 14 games.