Leeds United to deliver major blow to Manchester United and win Cody Gakpo race
Cody Gakpo is set to move to Leeds United in the new year in a “crushing blow” to Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, The Mirror reports.
The Whites have agreed personal terms with the PSV attacker and are now in negotiations with the Eredivisie side over a fee.
The Dutch international is “desperate” to come to the Premier League and came close to a move to Elland Road at the end of the summer transfer window, before PSV’s former technical director John de Jong blocked the move.
But after they missed out on Champions League qualification thanks to defeat to Rangers in the playoff round they are now forced to let the star player go to balance the books.
According to the Mirror report PSV want £30million and Leeds are in talks over that number, while Old Trafford boss ten Hag is set to miss out having run out of funds.
Jesse Marsch wants Gakpo to link up with fellow signing from the Netherlands Luis Sinisterra and looks like he is going to get his man.
Massive
When the close of the transfer window played out the way it did the confidence in the Elland Road hierarchy definitely took a hit.
Andrea Radrizzani had said the club would keep working on a deal for Gakpo, but with his outstanding form since the start of the year and a crowd of interested parties, it seemed that ship may have sailed.
Arsenal and Southampton are at least two other Premier League rivals interested in the 23-year-old but for United to have come out on top is a major statement of intent.
So far this year the winger has registered 10 goals and 12 assists in just 15 games across all competitions, and would surely add a fantastic new dimension to the team’s play.
If this deal is completed ready for January, and it will need to be fully confirmed before Whites fans start counting their chickens after his and Bamba Dieng’s collapsed transfers previously, it will go a long way to restoring faith in the chairman and Victor Orta.
An exciting addition any way you look at it, but the club look to have pulled off a major coup to land one of the most sought-after talents in Europe ahead of some heavyweight rivals.
In other Leeds United news, one first team player has revealed what he did to get laughed at by his teammates on the pitch.