According to The Chronicle, Newcastle have been scouting Netherlands and PSV star Cody Gakpo prior to last year’s takeover – but will face stiff competition after his impressive performances at the World Cup.
Lee Ryder claims that Toon scouts have been watching the forward for over a year now, monitoring his progress in the Eredivisie; where he’s bagged an impressive nine goals and 12 assists in 14 games this season.
However, interest in the Dutchman is likely to be at an all-time high after his blistering start to the Netherlands World Cup campaign, scoring in three consecutive group games to set up a last 16 tie with the USA.
It would be brilliant to see the club compete for such an exciting young talent, but I’d be surprised if we spent big money on another forward following the arrival of Alexander Isak.
Both Manchester United and Liverpool are also said to be interested in the 23-year-old, who is now valued at a reported €50m; a fee they are well within their rights to demand given Gakpo is under contract until the summer of 2026.
One thing is for sure, both club and player will be glad he didn’t seal a summer move to Leeds or Southampton – two clubs who were pushing to bring the Dutchman to the Premier League just a few months ago!
