AL KHOR - Cody Gakpo of Holland celebrates the 1-0 against Qatar during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 group A match between Netherlands and Qatar at Al Bayt Stadium on November 29, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar. ANP KOEN VAN WEEL (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)
3 reasons why Arsenal should target Cody Gakpo in January
by Kenneth Daly
Oranje is the new red.
The worst fears of every Arsenal fan were realised on Tuesday when it was confirmed that striker Gabriel Jesus will be sidelined for a prolonged period after he successfully underwent knee surgery.
His extended absence sounds alarm bells across north London and may force the club to explore the transfer market in January as they try to consolidate their advantage at the top of the Premier League table.
3 reasons why Arsenal should pursue World Cup star Gakpo in the January transfer window
Dutch sensation Cody Gakpo is just one of many names currently linked to the Emirates and his impressive displays in Qatar suggest he would be a solid addition to the Gunners’ depleted attack, although Golden Boot contention could serve as another, unwelcome boost to his rising price tag.
Our paths have already crossed twice this season via the Europa League and rumoured interest indicates that they might do so again in the near future. Here are three reasons why Arsenal should target the PSV forward in the upcoming window.
#1: He can play on the wing and up front
Cody Gakpo is having himself a season 😤 pic.twitter.com/FdUQFZXEDZ
— GOAL (@goal) November 29, 2022
Versatility is a virtue Arteta seeks in almost all prospective signings to improve squad depth and in-game tactical options, and this makes Gakpo a particularly compelling forward choice.
Although primarily fielded on the left wing for PSV, the 23-year-old has thrived down the middle under Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal and uses both his positional sense and incredible shot power to capitalise on any goalscoring chances – as demonstrated by his three goals in the World Cup group phase.
An abundance of technical skill and proficiency with his back-to-goal means he can function as a focal point, while his mobility and frightening burst of pace suit our fluid offensive dynamic and would see him perform equally well anywhere in the front line.
Question marks about his work rate and pressing may see him fall foul of the ‘non-negotiables’, but he largely fits the profile and will only get better with time.
Continued on the next slide…
pic.twitter.com/FdUQFZXEDZ
<p>— GOAL (@goal) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/"https://twitter.com/goal/status/1597646708321980416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>November 29, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Versatility is a virtue Arteta seeks in almost all prospective signings to improve squad depth and in-game tactical options, and this makes Gakpo a particularly compelling forward choice.</p>
<p>Although primarily fielded on the left wing for PSV, the 23-year-old has thrived down the middle under Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal and uses both his positional sense and incredible shot power to capitalise on any goalscoring chances – as demonstrated by his three goals in the World Cup group phase.</p>
<p>An abundance of technical skill and proficiency with his back-to-goal means he can function as a focal point, while his mobility and frightening burst of pace suit our fluid offensive dynamic and would see him perform equally well anywhere in the front line.</p>
<p>Question marks about his work rate and pressing may see him fall foul of the ‘non-negotiables’, but he largely fits the profile and will only get better with time.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #2 reason to pursue Gakpo </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2><strong>#2: Gakpo’s Arsenal inspiration and Premier League dream</strong></h2>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cody Gakpo (PSV): “I’m a tall winger, but when you look for tall wingers, there aren’t so many, so a few years ago, I started watching [Thierry] Henry & tried to learn something from him; the way he comes in from the left & shoots with his right. I tried to copy him a bit.” <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/afc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#afc</a> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/"https://t.co/sYQZRYby1u">pic.twitter.com/sYQZRYby1u
<p>— afcstuff (@afcstuff) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/"https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/1583045322498256897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>October 20, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Standout international performances have piqued the interest of many teams across Europe, but the historic exploits of club legends put Arsenal in a unique position to help Gakpo realise his Premier League ambitions.</p>
<p>In a recent interview with <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/"https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cody-gakpo-meet-europe-s-most-prolific-player-who-manchester-united-missed-out-on-xmlnf2v28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Times</a>, the Dutchman revealed how he watches clips of Gunners’ great Thierry Henry for inspiration and tries to incorporate elements of the King’s game into his own.</p>
<p>This admiration and respect for Henry, combined with the added appeal of an exciting Arsenal project, could perhaps persuade Gakpo to consider the Emirates as his next destination.</p>
<p>Both the club and the manager boast a strong track record of player development, while the prospect of regular first-team opportunities in a highly competitive side will surely be noted by a player conscious of his need for further development.</p>
<p>Although conversations with Erik ten Hag indicate old foes Manchester United are favourites for his signature, there are several upsides to a north London switch that might swing matters in our favour.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3 reason to pursue Gakpo </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2><strong>#3: More affordable for a tight budget</strong></h2>
<div id="attachment_130247" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-130247" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1244033783.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1244033783.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1244033783-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Gakpo (L) wouldn’t be too expensive despite his impressive World Cup campaign. (Photo by Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<p>Despite his impressive form at the World Cup, Gakpo is still a relatively affordable option for Arsenal and PSV’s financial trouble could make a winter transfer feasible.</p>
<p>Media reports suggest that the Dutch outfit will entertain bids in the region of €50m for the coveted front man next month, with recently published figures signalling that they are not in a position to rebuff a big-money proposal should it arrive.</p>
<p>Of course, the Gunners have their own difficulties to manage and last week posted losses of £45.5m for the past year. Furthermore, while UEFA are granting some leeway in recognition of pandemic-related issues, we remain on the <a title="Arsenal among 20 clubs on UEFA’s Financial Fair Play watchlist" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/08/23/arsenal-among-20-clubs-uefas-financial-fair-play-watchlist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Fair Play watchlist</a> and will have to show prudence in the transfer market.</p>
<p>However, this reported asking price pales in comparison to the €100m demanded for alternatives such as Mykhaylo Mudryk and <a title="2 forwards Arsenal could target in January after Gabriel Jesus’ injury" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/07/2-forwards-arsenal-target-january-gabriel-jesus-injury/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">João Félix</a> and might even allow for expenditure in midfield too.</p>
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<p>If the money is there, it’s worth a shot.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
