"It was really fast and unexpected" - Fabrizio Romano reveals 2 key figures convinced Cody Gakpo to join Liverpool

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and star defender Virgil van Dijk were crucial in convincing Cody Gakpo to join the Merseyside outfit in the winter transfer window, per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Reds landed the Netherlands international's signature over Christmas for an initial fee of £37 million and potential add-ons, beating rivals Manchester United in the process. The club announced the former PSV Eindhoven forward's signing on Wednesday (December 28).

The 23-year-old has turned a lot of heads due to his electric performances for club and country in the ongoing 2022-23 season. He is set to join Klopp's side after scoring 13 goals and contributing 17 assists in 24 overall matches for PSV. He also netted three group-stage goals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar while representing the Oranje.

In his column for Caught Offside, Romano claimed that Gakpo's permanent switch to Liverpool was swift and sudden. He wrote:

"As Gakpo also confirmed, it was really fast and unexpected. Jurgen Klopp in a meeting with the club asked to bring in a new winger after Luis Diaz's injury and Gakpo was the perfect target considering his price, quality and ability to play with the team."

Highlighting Klopp and Van Dijk's role, Romano continued:

"Klopp and Van Dijk were both crucial for this signing. I think he will play as a winger, but he can be helpful in many positions."

With Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota set to be sidelined for multiple months, Gakpo is set to deputize primarily on the left flank for the Reds in the upcoming period. After completing all the formalities, he is likely to don his new jersey for the first time during his side's FA Cup tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (January 7).

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Cody Gakpo opens up on securing permanent transfer from PSV to Liverpool

Speaking to LFCTV, new Liverpool signing Cody Gakpo expressed his excitement about securing a move to Anfield. He elaborated:

"I'm really excited to be here. I'm looking forward to start training and start playing for this amazing club. I think this is a great club for me to come in and try to help the team to achieve more beautiful moments that they already did in the past years. I think there's a lot of great players here who I can learn things from."

Sharing his thoughts on his ambition, Gakpo added:

"I'm really looking forward to playing at Anfield. I heard a lot of great stories about the stadium, the atmosphere. Obviously, my aim is to win as many prizes as we can as a team, to perform well, to show the world what we can do as a team and what I can do as a player. Personally, become a better player every season."

Liverpool are currently sixth in the Premier League standings with 25 points from 15 games, just five points off the fourth spot.