Liverpool

Liverpool returned from the World Cup break with a big win over Aston Villa, which could be crucial in the Champions League race.

[Joe Gomez](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/102053/Joe-Gomez) (Alexander-Arnold, 79"), N/R [Stefan Bajcetic](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/330605/Stefan-Bajcetic) (Henderson, 79"), N/R -- Took just two minutes to get himself onto the scoresheet with a cool finish from inside of the box. [Ben Doak](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/332948/ben-doak) (Nunez, 87"), N/R -- A Premier League debut for Ben Doak. [Fabinho](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/176287/Fabinho), 7 -- Followed up his strong performance in midweek [against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup](/soccer/english-carabao-cup/story/4837136/haaland-looks-restedman-city-look-like-carabao-cup-faves) with another aggressive display from the No. [Naby Keita](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/196567/Naby-Keita) (Thiago, 66"), 6 -- Fired a strike over the bar with a promising opportunity from outside of the box. [Harvey Elliott](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/280806/Harvey-Elliott) (Oxlade-Chamberlain, 66"), 6 -- Passed the ball well in closed spaces to help build Liverpool attacks, and kept things simple. That was until [Stefan Bajcetic](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/330605/Stefan-Bajcetic) was introduced for Liverpool and the 18-year-old's goal in the 81st minute eased Liverpool's nerves as they saw out the remainder of the game. [Andy Robertson](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/104943/Andy-Robertson), 8 -- The Scotland captain utilised his space on the left flank to produce an excellent opening ball to Nunez. Defender [Virgil van Dijk](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/157892/Virgil-van-Dijk) added a second goal after a number of Liverpool chances, with Salah turning provider to help earn a two-goal lead before the break. Worked hard to maintain the press from the front. Impressed with his distribution from the back again. He scored Liverpool's second goal to hand his side a two-goal lead going into the break. Jurgen Klopp, 8 -- Klopp adapted well to Aston Villa's changes throughout the match to ensure that the Reds didn't ever lose grip, despite a difficult start to the second half.

Liverpool have beaten Manchester United in the race to sign winger Cody Gakpo after agreeing a deal with PSV, the Dutch side announced on Monday.

The Dutch club said in a statement: "PSV and Liverpool FC have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo. PSV did not disclose the value of the deal, but general manager Marcel Brands said it will be a "record transfer" for the club. [Liverpool](/football/team?id=364) have beaten [Manchester United](/football/team?id=360) in the race to sign winger [Cody Gakpo](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/249524/Cody-Gakpo) after agreeing a deal with PSV, the Dutch side announced on Monday.

Liverpool have pipped a host of rivals to secure a move for World Cup star Cody Gakpo. The Dutch youngster was one of the breakout performers in Qatar, ...

PSV announced Gakpo will now travel to England to complete a medical examination before the transfer is concluded when the window opens on January 1. The fee is reportedly around 37 million pounds and provides much-needed reinforcement for a Liverpool team stricken with injuries to their forward line, including Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota. Liverpool have pipped a host of rivals to secure a move for World Cup star Cody Gakpo.

The transfer fee is between £35m and £45m. A PSV statement on Monday said: "PSV and LFC have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo.

Gakpo has all the attributes required of a modern forward and after his perfect treble at the World Cup had clubs across Europe scrambling for his signature before Liverpool won the race. That mentality will have impressed his suitors as much as his league-topping tally of goals and assists. His steadily rising goals- and assists-per-90 minutes stats for his club show that extra homework is paying off. At PSV he has shone as a left winger, cutting inside. A goal in each group stage game - one with his head, one with his left foot and one with his right foot - was testament to his rapidly improving play in the final third, appetite for the big stage and versatility. Cody Gakpo's stock increased at the World Cup with three goals in five appearances before the Netherlands were knocked out by eventual winners Argentina; Man Utd had shown interest in Gakpo in the summer before pursuing a deal for Antony from Ajax

Liverpool appear to have won the race to sign Dutch international forward Cody Gakpo after PSV Eindhoven announced an agreement with the English giants on ...

"PSV and Liverpool FC have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo," PSV said in a statement. PSV general manager Marcel Brands said the transfer fee would be a club record for the Dutch club. Eindhoven (Netherlands) (AFP) – Liverpool appear to have won the race to sign Dutch international forward Cody Gakpo after PSV Eindhoven announced an agreement with the English giants on Monday.

Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement with PSV Eindhoven to sign Netherlands international forward Cody Gakpo in January. The agreed fee is between €40 ...

[World Cup](https://theathletic.com/football/world-cup/), with three goals in five games as his country reached the quarter-finals. [Aston Villa](https://theathletic.com/football/team/aston-villa/) on Monday to stay sixth in the [Premier League](https://theathletic.com/football/premier-league/) but they are now only five points behind the [Champions League](https://theathletic.com/football/champions-league/) places after a difficult start to the campaign. [Leeds United](https://theathletic.com/football/team/leeds-united/) came close to acquiring Gakpo on the final day of last summer’s transfer window and dispatched their director of football Victor Orta to conclude the purchase. [Manchester United](https://theathletic.com/football/team/manchester-united/) and [Chelsea](https://theathletic.com/football/team/chelsea/) have also been considering Gakpo, but Liverpool have now moved into pole position to secure one of Europe’s most coveted players. [Liverpool](https://theathletic.com/football/team/liverpool/) have reached a verbal agreement with PSV Eindhoven to sign Netherlands international forward [Cody Gakpo](https://theathletic.com/football/player/cody-gakpo-djGTTuUUTuWr6O2m/) in January. “The 23-year-old attacker will immediately leave for England and he will be subjected to the necessary formalities ahead of the completion of the transfer.

Liverpool have agreed to sign star Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven, the Dutch club says.

We are very happy with him." There is still so much potential and I hope he can carry on showing it for us. "The PSV management completed the negotiations on Boxing Day and gave Gakpo permission to travel to England," said a statement from the Eredivisie side.

So much of what Liverpool do goes through Trent Alexander-Arnold - ignored by England, he remains integral to Jurgen Klopp.

[Raheem Sterling](https://theathletic.com/football/player/raheem-sterling-k4BPKfn0pvnrTLX4/). To add to the feelgood factor, there was a top-flight debut for the exciting [Ben Doak](https://theathletic.com/football/player/ben-doak-Z2qMOiWRpltZwQVN/) late on. It was Alexander-Arnold’s corner that led to Salah teeing up [Virgil van Dijk](https://theathletic.com/football/player/virgil-van-dijk-3Z1HfXXu3SMQJOeY/) at the back post to make it 2-0 via a deflection off [Ezri Konsa](https://theathletic.com/football/player/ezri-konsa-AY2de7Zbj5wm7Xnk/). And the finish from Stefan was special.” A spare part for Gareth Southgate at the [World Cup](https://theathletic.com/football/world-cup/), the Liverpool right-back’s importance to Jurgen Klopp remains vast. “The third was my favourite goal. For 60 minutes all great and then all of a sudden someone pulled the plug.” Like Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold faded after the interval. “The problem was he came back and got ill. For Salah, there was the buzz of moving level with Sir Kenny Dalglish on 172 goals, joint seventh in the club’s all-time list of scorers. His impact at Villa Park was immediate. The Netherlands international will have been licking his lips at the sight of this kind of service.

Hours after winning their boxing day Premier League game against Aston Villa, Liverpool's upper hierarchy have made a statement signing.

The midfield has been one of the prominent issues for the club. Liverpool have been plagued by an injury crisis and are in desperate need of reinforcements. His performances immediately put him on the radar of Liverpool scouts who moved in quickly after the 6'4 winger was heavily linked to rivals Manchester United. "PSV and Liverpool FC have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo. Hours after winning their boxing day Premier League game against Aston Villa, Liverpool's upper hierarchy have made a statement signing. PSV Eindhoven, the club for whom Gakpo plays currently took to Twitter to announce the deal and said the 23-year-old will be travelling to England soon

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Published 1 hour ago

Free highlights and match report as goals from Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic helped move Jurgen Klopps Liverpool up to sixth in the ...

On closing the gap to the top four: "We have to be the pain in the backside for everybody. "The second half we needed to keep, again, our game plan and to try to get chances to score and opportunities to come back. One final run in behind the defence led to Liverpool's third goal. It proved decisive in the end. the possibility of having possession, don't concede the easy transition and, if someone lost his position, they done it and, second half, we reacted very well." In a difficult game we played a lot of good stuff. But the home side caused plenty of problems at the other end - and it made for a great game. We had some massive counter-attacks and could have scored the third goal much earlier. But such is the potency of this Liverpool team, going toe-to-toe with Salah and the rest always looked to be a risk. Watkins evaded Joel Matip to head the ball into the corner and the momentum looked to be with Emery's men. It was tough on Villa but Liverpool's quality told in the end. Ollie Watkins' expertly placed header halved the deficit and chances continued to flow at both ends in a wide-open contest with Darwin Nunez particularly wasteful.

How do you solve a problem like Darwin Nunez? Liverpool's response to that dilemma has now been made clear by their move to sign Cody Gakpo.

In 20 games in all competitions, the 23-year-old has scored nine goals and registered four assists, but it is the missed chances that have led to the spotlight being fixed on the forward. From a Liverpool perspective, Nunez is making up for his lack of goals with incredible work-rate for the team and an obvious desire to come through the tough times he is enduring. The signing of Gakpo is proof of that. [Liverpool](/soccer/team?id=364)'s response to that dilemma has now been made clear by their move to sign [Cody Gakpo](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/249524/Cody-Gakpo) in a £37 million transfer from [PSV Eindhoven](/soccer/team?id=148) -- a deal that has been done so quietly and efficiently that the [Netherlands](/soccer/team?id=449) forward [could be signed and sealed at Anfield as soon as the winter transfer window officially opens](/soccer/soccer-transfers/story/4838646/liverpool-beat-man-united-to-agreement-for-cody-gakpo-with-psv) on Jan. Nunez is now entering a key period of his Liverpool career, however. Firmino has since become an undisputed Liverpool legend with his goals and performances, but there aren't many who can say they have turned a difficult situation around quite like the Placing too much emphasis on xG can be misleading, though. Nunez has scored just one "heavy" goal for Liverpool so far -- the winner in the 1-0 victory against West Ham in October -- so he needs to deliver more often in the big games when chances are at a premium and the value of goals is so much higher. Gakpo's arrival could be viewed in two ways by Nunez. [Darwin Nunez](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/271788/Darwin-Núñez)? [Sadio Mane](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/169797/Sadio-Mané) has moved on to [Bayern Munich](/soccer/team?id=132) in that time, and the [Senegal](/soccer/team?id=654) international has been a huge loss to Liverpool, but that exit has been counter-balanced by Salah committing himself to a new three-year contract in July. [Luis Diaz](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/257390/Luis-Díaz), [Diogo Jota](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/208133/Diogo-Jota) and [Roberto Firmino](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/147234/Roberto-Firmino) are all sidelined with injuries of varying severity right now, but when they are fully fit, adding them to a group that also includes [Mohamed Salah](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/173896/Mohamed-Salah), [Fabio Carvalho](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/231049/Fabio-Carvalho) and Nunez will ensure a regular selection headache for Klopp, even before Gakpo is brought into the equation.

Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign Cody Gakpo for a fee between £35m and £45m from PSV; Jurgen Klopps side need to make up ground on the top four ...

Gakpo has all the attributes required of a modern forward and after his perfect treble at the World Cup had clubs across Europe scrambling for his signature before Liverpool won the race. "It wouldn't surprise me if they did something else in the midfield but Gakpo is an exciting signing. Premier League rules require completed documents by midday of the last working day before the match. As a result, Liverpool's forward options are reduced to Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez. That mentality will have impressed his suitors as much as his league-topping tally of goals and assists. His steadily rising goals and assists-per-90 minutes stats for his club show that extra homework is paying off.

Liverpool have struck a deal to sign Cody Gakpo – but how does the young forward compare with the options currently at Jurgen Klopp's disposal?

Diogo Jota – 1.4 (1.4) But how does Gakpo stack up against the forwards in Liverpool’s squad? Luis Diaz – 2.3 (1.8) Roberto Firmino – 3.2 (2.3) Roberto Firmino is out of contract in the summer and may depart Anfield after eight years of service. Cody Gakpo – 28.9 (76.5%) For a young guy like him, it’s really special to see that attitude.” That decision has been vindicated, with a number of top-level clubs – most notably Liverpool’s old rivals Manchester United – chasing his signature. Diogo Jota – 0.9 (24.3%) “There were rumours over the whole period and I admire that a lot in him. Cody Gakpo – 2.1 (41%) “It is wonderful how he has showcased himself.

The Dutch World Cup star fills a gap that has emerged in the Liverpool team, and may provide solutions elsewhere in the future.

The move to Liverpool will test whether he can make the step up. The 23-year-old fills that immediate need for a wide forward on the left with Diaz and Jota out injured. 8 shirt usually given to a midfielder, he played a more central role either as a striker or as an attacking midfielder between two wide forwards. The Senegalese didn’t look like a typical target man but was nevertheless effective in this role. The transfer rumour mill, when combined with video games and fantasy football, can lead to a skewed perception of how soccer’s transfer market works. Standing at around 6 foot 2, he looks more like a typical target man but is perhaps most effective as a winger. It was likely accelerated by a setback to the recovery of Luis Diaz from injury. Names such as Jude Bellingham, Enzo Fernandez, and Moises Caicedo have been linked with the club, but wanting a player, and them being available, are two separate things. It doesn’t necessarily affect their pursuit of a midfielder. He has played mostly on the left wing for PSV, cutting inside onto his stronger right foot, but for the Netherlands, as seen at the World Cup where he wore the No. It is something the club are looking to address, and something they tried to do in a fashion at the end of the 2022 summer transfer window with the last-minute signing of Arthur. The transfer is a rare example of a club needing to fill a gap in their squad midseason and a quality player potentially able to fill it being available at the right time.

Free highlights and match report as goals from Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic helped move Jurgen Klopps Liverpool up to sixth in the ...

On closing the gap to the top four: "We have to be the pain in the backside for everybody. "The second half we needed to keep, again, our game plan and to try to get chances to score and opportunities to come back. One final run in behind the defence led to Liverpool's third goal. the possibility of having possession, don't concede the easy transition and, if someone lost his position, they done it and, second half, we reacted very well." And he then came off the bench to make his debut with 20 minutes to go in a 9-0 win against Bournemouth, his only previous top-flight minutes before Monday. In a difficult game we played a lot of good stuff. We had some massive counter-attacks and could have scored the third goal much earlier. But the home side caused plenty of problems at the other end - and it made for a great game. But such is the potency of this Liverpool team, going toe-to-toe with Salah and the rest always looked to be a risk. Watkins evaded Joel Matip to head the ball into the corner and the momentum looked to be with Emery's men. It was tough on Villa but Liverpool's quality told in the end. Ollie Watkins' expertly placed header halved the deficit and chances continued to flow at both ends in a wide-open contest with Darwin Nunez particularly wasteful.

LONDON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Liverpool have reached an agreement with Dutch side PSV Eindhoven to sign forward Cody Gakpo. PSV issued a statement confirming ...

PSV issued a statement confirming that "PSV and LFC have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo. The transfer window opens for clubs in England on January 1st and in theory Gakpo could make his Liverpool debut away to Brentford the following day. Southampton and Leeds United were interested in the forward this summer, but Liverpool have now moved to complete the deal and provide cover for long-term injuries, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.

How will Cody Gakpo fit in at Liverpool? GOAL looks at whether the PSV winger will be Roberto Firmino's replacement, Darwin Nunez's partner or Mohamed ...

The coup comes as a blow for Manchester United, who had been leading the race to sign the 23-year-old, but a significant boost for Jurgen Klopp, who has been seeking reinforcements following injuries to Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota. Gakpo had initially been a target for the summer, but Liverpool moved swiftly to land the versatile forward, once it became clear PSV were open to selling in January. The deal is worth an initial £37 million (€42m/$45m), rising to around £44m (€50m/$53m) when add-ons are factored in.

How will Cody Gakpo fit in at Liverpool? GOAL looks at whether the PSV winger will be Roberto Firmino's replacement, Darwin Nunez's partner or Mohamed ...

The deal is expected to cost an initial £37 million (€42m/$45m), rising to around £44m (€50m/$53m) when add-ons are factored in. The formalities are still to be finalised, but Gakpo is heading for Merseyside for a medical and it is expected that the transfer will be completed by the time the transfer window officially opens on January 1. [as it emerged that they had agreed a deal with PSV Eindhoven to sign the Dutch international forward Cody Gakpo.](https://www.goal.com/en/news/liverpool-advanced-talks-50m-gakpo-transfer-beat-man-utd-to-netherlands-star/bltefe54732b6c5ed14)

Liverpool came out victorious in a high-tempo match at Villa Park on Boxing Day in the Premier League.

[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5XstioL80j5xvix2FgayOv?si=c6005a65bcb245e7) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdlFklV55ZttMuLE6hf3FdA) [Jordan Henderson](https://www.si.com/soccer/liverpool/exclusive-interviews/exclusive-i-dont-think-his-time-is-up-glen-johnson-on-jordan-henderson-being-a-starter) and Fabinho who were both alongside Thiago. The last game of a turbulent and unpredictable 2022 for Liverpool Football Club. The English forward would get his goal, though, as he scored a header from a sublime cross by Douglas Luiz. Liverpool were clearly on the nice list this year as Santa Claus delivered three points under the tree for the Reds.

PSV Eindhoven, the employer, and Liverpool have inked the deal for the 23-year old man to join the Premier League. The Reds stole the show from Manchester ...

He scored in each of his country’s group games against Senegal, Ecuador and Qatar. The Togo-born is expected in England for medical check-up and his fee could jump to £44.3 million – a record for the Dutch outfit. PSV Eindhoven, the employer, and Liverpool have inked the deal for the 23-year old man to join the Premier League.

Liverpool's new signing Cody Gakpo is the Dutch league's top scorer and had a successful World Cup campaign.

Free highlights and match report as goals from Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic helped move Jurgen Klopps Liverpool up to sixth in the ...

On closing the gap to the top four: "We have to be the pain in the backside for everybody. "The second half we needed to keep, again, our game plan and to try to get chances to score and opportunities to come back. One final run in behind the defence led to Liverpool's third goal. the possibility of having possession, don't concede the easy transition and, if someone lost his position, they done it and, second half, we reacted very well." And he then came off the bench to make his debut with 20 minutes to go in a 9-0 win against Bournemouth, his only previous top-flight minutes before Monday. In a difficult game we played a lot of good stuff. We had some massive counter-attacks and could have scored the third goal much earlier. But the home side caused plenty of problems at the other end - and it made for a great game. But such is the potency of this Liverpool team, going toe-to-toe with Salah and the rest always looked to be a risk. Watkins evaded Joel Matip to head the ball into the corner and the momentum looked to be with Emery's men. It was tough on Villa but Liverpool's quality told in the end. Ollie Watkins' expertly placed header halved the deficit and chances continued to flow at both ends in a wide-open contest with Darwin Nunez particularly wasteful.

Liverpool are on the brink of adding Cody Gakpo to their squad for the second half of the season after agreeing a deal with PSV Eindhoven.

So how about seeing Gapko and Nunez line up together as a front two? [reported by the ECHO](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc), the Reds have been in advanced talks to sign the versatile forward after the club accelerated their interest over the last 48 hours. The formation would also allow Nunez to play more centrally. This formation would also allow Reds boss Klopp to rotate and freshen things up in terms of personnel. The formation is also one that Reds supporters are used to seeing. Both clubs are not making any announcements about the transfer fee.” [Darwin Nunez](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) to be the man playing down the middle with Salah on the right and Gapko on the left. [Mohamed Salah](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) and Luis Diaz. It’s thought the interest from other clubs has prompted [Jurgen Klopp’s](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) side could line up with the Dutchman. [Liverpool](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) to make their move for Gakpo ahead of the January transfer window. The [ECHO understands](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) the initial fee will be around the £37m figure with add-ons likely to take the deal well past the £40m mark.

PSV and Holland star Cody Gakpo was reportedly due to arrive in the UK on Tuesday night ahead of his move to Liverpool and is expected to complete the main ...

[Jurgen Klopp](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/latest/jurgen-klopp) and his staff believe Gakpo to be a ‘team player’ and an ‘instinctive finisher’ and are convinced he'll slot right in to Liverpool's front three. [Virgil van Dijk's savage Man Utd putdown during failed Cody Gakpo transfer chase](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/virgil-van-dijk-cody-gakpo-28823075) [Laura Woods discloses Jurgen Klopp's answer to important question that left her laughing](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/laura-woods-jurgen-klopp-liverpool-28823019) [Man Utd's massive mistake saw Liverpool snatch Cody Gakpo from under their noses](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/man-utd-liverpool-cody-gakpo-28821187) [5 shirt numbers Cody Gakpo could take at Liverpool with arrival just days away](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/cody-gakpo-liverpool-squad-number-28820769) [comments section](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/gakpo-arriving-england-liverpool-medical-28825640#comments-section) below. [PSV](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/latest/psv-eindhoven-fc) revealed they'd [reached an agreement](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/breaking-liverpool-cody-gakpo-agreement-28819454) with Liverpool for the player on Boxing Day, with the fee reported to be around £37m, with £13m in potential add-ons. [Liverpool reach Cody Gakpo transfer agreement with PSV and hijack Man Utd move](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/breaking-liverpool-cody-gakpo-agreement-28819454) [Manchester United](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/latest/manchester-united-fc) had been tracking Gakpo for months and were hoping to bring him to Old Trafford next month to replace [Cristiano Ronaldo](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/latest/cristiano-ronaldo), whose contract was cancelled in November following his explosive club-slamming interview with Piers Morgan. [Liverpool](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/breaking-liverpool-cody-gakpo-agreement-28819454).