Harry Watkinson
The stats that show why Cody Gakpo is in demand
Southampton, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Leeds and Everton are all reportedly interested in signing PSV winger Cody Gakpo, but why is the Dutchman so in demand this summer?
Gakpo was arguably PSV’s standout performer last season, and he is touted to have massive potential.
This article breaks down his stats from the 2021-22 campaign, to show what he would bring to any potential new club as he eyes a move to the Premier League.
Goalscoring Winger
Cody Gakpo simply loves to score goals. He is a versatile player, who played the majority of his matches last season as a left winger but can also play on the right and as a striker, too. Looking at the Premier League, most teams seem to be playing with three strikers this season – so this versatility is definitely a key reason for the 23-year-old’s popularity in the transfer market.
Generally, the goals Gakpo scores are absolute screamers. Just one YouTube search and you will find countless examples of him smashing balls into top corners from the edge of the box, or alternatively he dribbles past four or five players and slots the ball in the bottom corner. ‘Confident’ is the word to describe Gakpo.
Looking at his stats, last season the Dutchman averaged 3 shots on target per game, showing he is a consistent threat to any opposition. In all competitions, Gakpo netted 21 goals in 47 matches, averaging a goal every 0.45 games for PSV – an impressive tally for a young winger. He was also PSV’s top scorer in the Eredivisie, netting 12 league goals last season.
Perhaps the part of Gakpo’s play that stands out more than anything else though is his dazzling ability on the ball. He is full of skills and tricks: a real flair player, who would get any Premiership club’s fans on their feet. Last season, the Dutchman averaged 2.9 successful dribbles per game for PSV, making him the best dribbler in the team.
Top-quality playmaker
However, Gakpo’s contributions go far beyond his shooting and dribbling ability… he also has great vision and creates plenty of chances for his teammates.
The 23-year-old can play through balls in behind the opposition’s defence, as well as dangerous chipped through balls too, both of which he utilized regularly last season, averaging 2.6 key passes per match for PSV.
The Dutchman linked up particularly well with Eindhoven’s striker Eran Zahavi, who scored 11 league goals in the 2021-22 campaign and Gakpo will hope to forge another partnership like that wherever he goes next.
Gakpo is also effective as a traditional winger. While he likes to cut inside and shoot, he also has the ability to run to the by-line and whip good crosses into the box. Overall, Gakpo averaged 1.6 crosses per game. With Southampton currently looking like the most likely team to sign the 23-year-old, you can imagine players like Che Adams and Stuart Armstrong thriving off that kind of service.
Overall, Gakpo made 15 assists for PSV last season, making him the club’s number one playmaker (as well as their top scorer). Combining assists and goals, the Dutchman made an average of 0.77 goal contributions per game. For teams like Leeds, Southampton and Everton, numbers like that could be the difference between relegation and survival this season.
Given how important Gakpo was to PSV in 2021-22, the only surprise is that they are willing to let him go for around £30 million. For that money, he would be a fantastic signing for any team.
An experienced youngster
Another reason that Gakpo would be a great addition to any Premiership side is that he has plenty of experience playing in big matches.
Despite being just 23, Gakpo has already played (and scored) in the Champions League qualifiers, the Europa League and has won one Eredivisie league title in 2017-18 and one KNVB Cup (the Dutch equivalent of the FA Cup) earlier this year.
In fact, Gakpo was the standout performer in the KNVB Cup Final, scoring a stunning winning goal against Ajax in a 2-1 victory for PSV: a trademark Gakpo strike from the edge of the box with his right foot.
This winning mentality is something that any Premier League manager would love to have in their changing room. If Manchester United opt to sign the 23-year-old (although this looks unlikely now they have signed Antony), they will hope he can help bring the Champions League and silverware back to Old Trafford this season.
Overall though, Gakpo seems to have everything. He is quick, strong, skilful, can score goals and create chances, has experience in winning trophies and at just 23-years-old he will only improve.
It seems like it is only a matter of time before the Dutchman makes the switch to the Premier League ahead of transfer deadline day, so it will be very interesting to see how he plays at whichever club he chooses to join.