Cody Gakpo discloses the player responsible for blocking his move to Man Utd before he opted to join Liverpool.

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo has revealed that a Manchester United player influenced his decision not to join the club, ultimately leading him to sign for Liverpool.

In December 2022, Liverpool secured Gakpo’s transfer from PSV Eindhoven for a reported fee of €40m-€50m (£35.4m-£44.3m). The move surprised many, as Gakpo had been strongly linked with Manchester United at the time.

Since arriving at Anfield, the 25-year-old has made 111 appearances across all competitions, scoring 37 goals. This season, under the management of Arne Slot, Gakpo has been thriving in his preferred position, delivering some of his best performances. In the 2024/25 campaign, he has already recorded 14 goals and five assists in 32 matches.

Speaking via The Players’ Tribune, Gakpo disclosed that United’s signing of Antony in 2022 played a key role in his decision. Reflecting on the situation, he shared how his faith guided him during the process.

“At the time, there were rumors about a move to England. I had a meeting with a pastor from my church in Holland, and he brought another pastor who said, ‘God told me you will go to Liverpool.’ I laughed it off because Manchester United had shown interest. But then, in the summer of 2022, United signed Antony, and I was left wondering what to do. My options were to join Leeds, Southampton, or stay at PSV.”

Gakpo described how he prayed for clarity, setting specific goals as signs. “I decided: if I score once, I’ll go to Southampton; twice, I’ll go to Leeds; and three times, I’ll stay. The next day, I scored twice and was involved in a third goal, initially called an own goal. When it was later credited to me, I realized it was a sign to stay at PSV.”

Gakpo remained at PSV before eventually making his move to Liverpool, where he has since become a key player fo

r the team.