“I am baffled” - Jamie Carragher hits out at performances from Liverpool star

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has criticized attacker Cody Gakpo for his underwhelming performances since joining the Reds from PSV Eindhoven in January.

Liverpool finalized a deal to sign Gakpo from Dutch club PSV even before the January transfer window opened to the surprise of many. They decided to fork out an initial sum of £37 million on the attacker following injuries to Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Roberto Firmino.

The Netherlands international's move to Anfield was one that excited the Reds faithful. He notably scored 13 goals and provided 17 assists in 24 appearances across all competitions for PSV in the first half of this season.

However, Gakpo has struggled to hit the ground running on Merseyside, with Liverpool's poor run of form not helping his cause as well. He has so far failed to provide a goal return in his six appearances for the club.

Carragher has now admitted that he has been disappointed with the Dutchman's displays for the Reds. The former defender claimed that he does not seem to be a Jurgen Klopp signing and wrote in his column for The Daily Telegraph:

"I am baffled watching Gakpo’s early performances. Gakpo is not a typical Klopp signing, lacking lightning pace and the capacity to lead a high press."

The Liverpool legend also questioned his former employers' decision to splurge a significant amount of money on Gakpo instead of improving their midfield. He added:

"Why commit up to £45 million on someone who will be on the bench when Diaz and Diogo Jota are fit? Especially when another area of the team needed strengthening?"

Gakpo has proven that he can perform at the highest level, having also impressed for the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It is worth noting that he scored three goals in five matches for the Oranje in the tournament. Klopp will thus be positive that he can return to his best soon.

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Liverpool sit 10th in the Premier League table

Liverpool's form, especially after the World Cup, has certainly not made things easy for Gakpo. They have won only one of their seven matches in all competitions since the turn of the year.

The Reds were notably on the verge of winning an unprecedented quadruple last season. While their pursuit of the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League proved unsuccessful by the barest of margins, they managed to win both domestic cups.

However, they have miserably failed to maintain a similar standard of performance this season. They currently sit 10th in the Premier League table and are 11 points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United with a game in hand. Klopp's side have also already been knocked out of both the FA Cup and EFL Cup.