Manchester United and Cody Gakpo have reached an agreement in principle.
Several clubs expressed interest in the Netherlands international during the summer transfer window, but he finally chose to remain in his homeland.
Erik ten Hag was allegedly leading the Man United campaign to acquire Gakpo’s signature after witnessing the attacker’s abilities firsthand during his stint in the Eredivisie.
Arsenal and Leeds United were also credited with an interest in the 23-year-old, who was confirmed to have been the subject of talks from the Whites over a summer move. Gakpo remains under contract at the Philips Stadion until 2026, having only signed a new deal in January, but he recently admitted that he was ready to take the next step in his career next year.
“I think at the end of this season I will be ready to take that step. I feel like I was already that way at the start of this season, but after this season I’m even more ready to take that next step,” Gakpo told NOS.
“Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool are all contenders. It would be an honor to play there, but I need to figure out what kind of squad would be ideal for me.”
According to Football Insider, Man United is getting closer to signing Gakpo after reaching an agreement in principle with the Dutchman.
According to the source, the Red Devils must still try to persuade PSV to split ways with Gakpo in January, or else the swoop will have to wait until the summer.
Despite interest from the likes of Leeds, Southampton, and Everton, Gakpo is also said to be eyeing a move to a European-competing club, putting Man United at a huge advantage.
A fee of €30m (£25.8m) could reportedly be enough to land Gakpo in January, although his stock could rise if he enjoys a strong World Cup period with the Netherlands.
However, with Manchester United freeing up £500,000 per week in salary as a result of Cristiano Ronaldo’s mutual exit, they are unconcerned about the potential of paying more.
Gakpo has progressed through the PSV youth divisions since joining in 2007, amassing 55 goals and 50 assists in 159 games for the club in all events.
The Dutchman led his team to the KNVB-Beker in 2021-22, and he had 13 goals and 17 assists in 24 games for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men in the first half of the 2022-23 season.
Gakpo has already scored two goals in two World Cup 2022 matches for the Netherlands, against Senegal and Ecuador, as the Oranje lead Group A with four points from their first two games.
