Cody Gakpo is absolutely tearing it up for Liverpool right now, and after just three Premier League games, the Reds might have finally found their next Philippe Coutinho. Believe it or not, this time last season, Liverpool fans would have laughed you out of the room if you told them Gakpo would be their best player this term. But with one goal and three assists already under his belt, the Dutchman is making a serious case for it, proving everyone wrong early in the season.
The Ghost of Coutinho’s Genius
Look, even if Philippe Coutinho wasn’t at Anfield for as long as everyone wanted, he was pure magic for that club. He brought an insane level of creativity to the squad, and with Luis Suarez upfront, it was a recipe for pure excellence. Coutinho contributed to a mind-blowing 98 goals across all competitions during his time there, quickly cementing himself as one of the Premier League’s best left-wingers, no matter who he was up against. Barcelona ended up shelling out a massive £142 million for him, a fee that would be around £193 million today, blowing away all Premier League sales records. Since his exit, Liverpool has been desperate to find that successor, that spark, and now, all these years later, it looks like they finally found it in Gakpo.
Gakpo Steps Up, Against All Odds
What makes Gakpo’s current form even wilder is that he has been forced to play out of position on the right wing. This is all thanks to Liverpool’s total lack of a plan to replace Mohamed Salah. But even with that challenge, the dude has been on fire! While the physical similarities between Gakpo and Coutinho aren’t really there, their performance trajectory and the situations they found themselves in feel eerily similar. Remember when Coutinho was blocked from joining Barcelona initially? Everyone thought his commitment and performance would tank. Nope. He found another gear. Gakpo’s doing the exact same thing after Manchester City and Tottenham tried to snatch him up. Liverpool couldn’t find a replacement for him, so he stayed put, and he has absolutely found another level to his game, just like Coutinho did. It is a wild parallel to watch unfold.
A lot of this new energy is probably down to Iraola being in charge instead of Arne Slot. But let’s be real, if Gakpo’s ability to pass and shoot had not been re-found, none of this would be happening. The club really wanted Florian Wirtz to be the “next Coutinho” based on his profile as a number 10 or left winger. But Gakpo has hijacked that narrative. If Liverpool can keep Gakpo in this kind of blistering form for the rest of the season, get ready to clear some space in those trophy cabinets. This team could be on the path to some serious silverware.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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