Liverpool

Liverpool returned from the World Cup break with a big win over Aston Villa, which could be crucial in the Champions League race.

[Joe Gomez](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/102053/Joe-Gomez) (Alexander-Arnold, 79"), N/R [Stefan Bajcetic](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/330605/Stefan-Bajcetic) (Henderson, 79"), N/R -- Took just two minutes to get himself onto the scoresheet with a cool finish from inside of the box. [Ben Doak](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/332948/ben-doak) (Nunez, 87"), N/R -- A Premier League debut for Ben Doak. [Fabinho](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/176287/Fabinho), 7 -- Followed up his strong performance in midweek [against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup](/soccer/english-carabao-cup/story/4837136/haaland-looks-restedman-city-look-like-carabao-cup-faves) with another aggressive display from the No. [Naby Keita](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/196567/Naby-Keita) (Thiago, 66"), 6 -- Fired a strike over the bar with a promising opportunity from outside of the box. [Harvey Elliott](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/280806/Harvey-Elliott) (Oxlade-Chamberlain, 66"), 6 -- Passed the ball well in closed spaces to help build Liverpool attacks, and kept things simple. That was until [Stefan Bajcetic](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/330605/Stefan-Bajcetic) was introduced for Liverpool and the 18-year-old's goal in the 81st minute eased Liverpool's nerves as they saw out the remainder of the game. [Andy Robertson](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/104943/Andy-Robertson), 8 -- The Scotland captain utilised his space on the left flank to produce an excellent opening ball to Nunez. Defender [Virgil van Dijk](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/157892/Virgil-van-Dijk) added a second goal after a number of Liverpool chances, with Salah turning provider to help earn a two-goal lead before the break. Worked hard to maintain the press from the front. Impressed with his distribution from the back again. He scored Liverpool's second goal to hand his side a two-goal lead going into the break. Jurgen Klopp, 8 -- Klopp adapted well to Aston Villa's changes throughout the match to ensure that the Reds didn't ever lose grip, despite a difficult start to the second half.

The transfer fee is between £35m and £45m. A PSV statement on Monday said: "PSV and LFC have reached an agreement on the proposed transfer of Cody Gakpo.

Gakpo has all the attributes required of a modern forward and after his perfect treble at the World Cup had clubs across Europe scrambling for his signature before Liverpool won the race. That mentality will have impressed his suitors as much as his league-topping tally of goals and assists. His steadily rising goals- and assists-per-90 minutes stats for his club show that extra homework is paying off. At PSV he has shone as a left winger, cutting inside. A goal in each group stage game - one with his head, one with his left foot and one with his right foot - was testament to his rapidly improving play in the final third, appetite for the big stage and versatility. Cody Gakpo's stock increased at the World Cup with three goals in five appearances before the Netherlands were knocked out by eventual winners Argentina; Man Utd had shown interest in Gakpo in the summer before pursuing a deal for Antony from Ajax

Liverpool are set to beat Manchester United to the £50 million ($60m) signing of PSV forward Cody Gakpo.

So if they can get it over the line, it'll be even sweeter for Klopp and Co. Crucially, he is capable of operating across the forward line, providing the kind of versatility Liverpool crave, and his age, 23, means there is room for improvement too, as there is with Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Fabio Carvalho and Diogo Jota, the club's last four attacking signings. "The 23-year-old attacker will immediately leave for England where he will undergo the necessary formalities to complete the transfer.

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk put the Reds in a commanding position before half-time. Read more at straitstimes.com.

John McGinn also fluffed his lines with just goalkeeper Alisson to beat before the home side got the goal their start to the second half deserved. Salah is one of a number of Klopp’s key players who was not involved in Qatar and took just five minutes to net his 15th goal of the season. But Jurgen Klopp’s men had to endure some nervy moments in the second half after Ollie Watkins pulled a goal back for Villa before teenager Stefan Bajcetic came off the bench to secure the three points with his first senior goal.

Darwin Nunez was not on the scoresheet in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Monday (Dec 26) but manager Jurgen Klopp said he was delighted with the ...

"He will score goals, I have no doubt about that," said the German. There is no defender who can really catch up speed-wise." Advertisement

Liverpool have agreed to sign the Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven, the Eredivisie club said on Monday. The 23-year-old Gakpo scored three ...

Jurgen Klopp has insisted that Darwin Nunez is "unstoppable" despite his struggles in front of goal during Liverpool's Boxing Day win at Aston Villa.

I am not since yesterday in the business and so I know. The scoring, in the beginning, is not so important. Klopp is aware of the criticism being aimed at Nunez due to his wastefulness in front of goal, but is not worried about his progress at Anfield and insists he had an "exceptional game" at Villa Park.

LIVERPOOL appear to have won the race to sign Dutch international forward Cody Gakpo after PSV Eindhoven announced an agreement with the English giants on ...

Free highlights and match report as goals from Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic helped move Jurgen Klopps Liverpool up to sixth in the ...

On closing the gap to the top four: "We have to be the pain in the backside for everybody. "The second half we needed to keep, again, our game plan and to try to get chances to score and opportunities to come back. One final run in behind the defence led to Liverpool's third goal. It proved decisive in the end. the possibility of having possession, don't concede the easy transition and, if someone lost his position, they done it and, second half, we reacted very well." In a difficult game we played a lot of good stuff. But the home side caused plenty of problems at the other end - and it made for a great game. We had some massive counter-attacks and could have scored the third goal much earlier. But such is the potency of this Liverpool team, going toe-to-toe with Salah and the rest always looked to be a risk. Watkins evaded Joel Matip to head the ball into the corner and the momentum looked to be with Emery's men. It was tough on Villa but Liverpool's quality told in the end. Ollie Watkins' expertly placed header halved the deficit and chances continued to flow at both ends in a wide-open contest with Darwin Nunez particularly wasteful.

How do you solve a problem like Darwin Nunez? Liverpool's response to that dilemma has now been made clear by their move to sign Cody Gakpo.

In 20 games in all competitions, the 23-year-old has scored nine goals and registered four assists, but it is the missed chances that have led to the spotlight being fixed on the forward. From a Liverpool perspective, Nunez is making up for his lack of goals with incredible work-rate for the team and an obvious desire to come through the tough times he is enduring. The signing of Gakpo is proof of that. [Liverpool](/soccer/team?id=364)'s response to that dilemma has now been made clear by their move to sign [Cody Gakpo](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/249524/Cody-Gakpo) in a £37 million transfer from [PSV Eindhoven](/soccer/team?id=148) -- a deal that has been done so quietly and efficiently that the [Netherlands](/soccer/team?id=449) forward [could be signed and sealed at Anfield as soon as the winter transfer window officially opens](/soccer/soccer-transfers/story/4838646/liverpool-beat-man-united-to-agreement-for-cody-gakpo-with-psv) on Jan. Nunez is now entering a key period of his Liverpool career, however. Firmino has since become an undisputed Liverpool legend with his goals and performances, but there aren't many who can say they have turned a difficult situation around quite like the Placing too much emphasis on xG can be misleading, though. Nunez has scored just one "heavy" goal for Liverpool so far -- the winner in the 1-0 victory against West Ham in October -- so he needs to deliver more often in the big games when chances are at a premium and the value of goals is so much higher. Gakpo's arrival could be viewed in two ways by Nunez. [Darwin Nunez](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/271788/Darwin-Núñez)? [Sadio Mane](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/169797/Sadio-Mané) has moved on to [Bayern Munich](/soccer/team?id=132) in that time, and the [Senegal](/soccer/team?id=654) international has been a huge loss to Liverpool, but that exit has been counter-balanced by Salah committing himself to a new three-year contract in July. [Luis Diaz](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/257390/Luis-Díaz), [Diogo Jota](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/208133/Diogo-Jota) and [Roberto Firmino](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/147234/Roberto-Firmino) are all sidelined with injuries of varying severity right now, but when they are fully fit, adding them to a group that also includes [Mohamed Salah](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/173896/Mohamed-Salah), [Fabio Carvalho](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/231049/Fabio-Carvalho) and Nunez will ensure a regular selection headache for Klopp, even before Gakpo is brought into the equation.

Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign Cody Gakpo for a fee between £35m and £45m from PSV; Jurgen Klopps side need to make up ground on the top four ...

Gakpo has all the attributes required of a modern forward and after his perfect treble at the World Cup had clubs across Europe scrambling for his signature before Liverpool won the race. "It wouldn't surprise me if they did something else in the midfield but Gakpo is an exciting signing. Premier League rules require completed documents by midday of the last working day before the match. As a result, Liverpool's forward options are reduced to Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez. That mentality will have impressed his suitors as much as his league-topping tally of goals and assists. His steadily rising goals and assists-per-90 minutes stats for his club show that extra homework is paying off.

The Dutch World Cup star fills a gap that has emerged in the Liverpool team, and may provide solutions elsewhere in the future.

The move to Liverpool will test whether he can make the step up. The 23-year-old fills that immediate need for a wide forward on the left with Diaz and Jota out injured. 8 shirt usually given to a midfielder, he played a more central role either as a striker or as an attacking midfielder between two wide forwards. The Senegalese didn’t look like a typical target man but was nevertheless effective in this role. The transfer rumour mill, when combined with video games and fantasy football, can lead to a skewed perception of how soccer’s transfer market works. Standing at around 6 foot 2, he looks more like a typical target man but is perhaps most effective as a winger. It was likely accelerated by a setback to the recovery of Luis Diaz from injury. Names such as Jude Bellingham, Enzo Fernandez, and Moises Caicedo have been linked with the club, but wanting a player, and them being available, are two separate things. It doesn’t necessarily affect their pursuit of a midfielder. He has played mostly on the left wing for PSV, cutting inside onto his stronger right foot, but for the Netherlands, as seen at the World Cup where he wore the No. It is something the club are looking to address, and something they tried to do in a fashion at the end of the 2022 summer transfer window with the last-minute signing of Arthur. The transfer is a rare example of a club needing to fill a gap in their squad midseason and a quality player potentially able to fill it being available at the right time.

How will Cody Gakpo fit in at Liverpool? GOAL looks at whether the PSV winger will be Roberto Firmino's replacement, Darwin Nunez's partner or Mohamed ...

The coup comes as a blow for Manchester United, who had been leading the race to sign the 23-year-old, but a significant boost for Jurgen Klopp, who has been seeking reinforcements following injuries to Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota. Gakpo had initially been a target for the summer, but Liverpool moved swiftly to land the versatile forward, once it became clear PSV were open to selling in January. The deal is worth an initial £37 million (€42m/$45m), rising to around £44m (€50m/$53m) when add-ons are factored in.

Liverpool beating United to the same targets when the Red Devils are the first to the negotiating table is becoming a trend.

Already established amongst the elite, there is less playing staff investment for a new backer to have to sink in. Liverpool lost the title by a single point on two occasions and was defeated in a pair of Champions League Finals. As both clubs’ owners have admitted to being open to the idea of a sale they potentially competing for interested buyers. They are certainly no longer the most attractive club in England to play for. "Hopefully Cody can go to the moon and back," said the towering center-half as Gakpo continued his scoring streak in the Middle East. There is still so much potential and I hope he can carry on showing it for us. “For the future, for investing in a new stadium and a latest-and-greatest training ground we’ve got to do something,” Today it might be missing out on Nunez and Gakpo, if it’s not careful the risk for United is tomorrow it won’t even be in the conversation. In the same period, United has only had one season where it has been a rival to winners Manchester City and even then it was at a lengthy distance. When it comes to infrastructure, the team has a brand new training ground and made substantial upgrades to its stadium. But Liverpool beating United to the same targets when the Red Devils are the first to the negotiating table is becoming a trend. "What we see in training is what you see on the pitch.

Stefan Bajcetic thought about everything that had brought him to that moment in the immediate aftermath of scoring his first professional goal in ...

Hopefully I can get more minutes and keep on working hard and learning." "I saw the long ball, I know how fast Darwin is and I know how good he is, so I knew he was going to get something on that ball. "I just didn't know what to do.

Jurgen Klopp is unlikely to settle for just Cody Gakpo as a new signing in January - and plans are reportedly underway to add a second signing at Liverpool.

And they report that Klopp is a huge fan of the player, liking his dynamism and characteristics. And the Ligue 1 giants currently represent the biggest rivals to Liverpool for Amrabat’s signature, the report adds. And his performances have enhances speculation that a move to the Premier League could be on the cards. The midfielder played a leading role as his country reached the semi-finals of the World Cup. Gakpo will likely sign a deal with the Reds tying him to Anfield until summer 2027. The PSV frontman was one of the world’s most in-demand stars on the back of a devastating run of form in the Eredivisive and in Europe.

Liverpool came out victorious in a high-tempo match at Villa Park on Boxing Day in the Premier League.

[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5XstioL80j5xvix2FgayOv?si=c6005a65bcb245e7) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdlFklV55ZttMuLE6hf3FdA) [Jordan Henderson](https://www.si.com/soccer/liverpool/exclusive-interviews/exclusive-i-dont-think-his-time-is-up-glen-johnson-on-jordan-henderson-being-a-starter) and Fabinho who were both alongside Thiago. The last game of a turbulent and unpredictable 2022 for Liverpool Football Club. The English forward would get his goal, though, as he scored a header from a sublime cross by Douglas Luiz. Liverpool were clearly on the nice list this year as Santa Claus delivered three points under the tree for the Reds.

How do you solve a problem like Darwin Nunez? Liverpool's response to that dilemma has now been made clear by their move to sign Cody Gakpo.

In 20 games in all competitions, the 23-year-old has scored nine goals and registered four assists, but it is the missed chances that have led to the spotlight being fixed on the forward. The signing of Gakpo is proof of that. From a Liverpool perspective, Nunez is making up for his lack of goals with incredible work-rate for the team and an obvious desire to come through the tough times he is enduring. Nunez is now entering a key period of his Liverpool career, however. Firmino has since become an undisputed Liverpool legend with his goals and performances, but there aren't many who can say they have turned a difficult situation around quite like the Nunez has scored just one "heavy" goal for Liverpool so far -- the winner in a 1-0 victory against West Ham in October -- so he needs to deliver more often in the big games when chances are at a premium and the value of goals is so much higher. Placing too much emphasis on xG can be misleading, though. [Darwin Nunez](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/271788/Darwin-Núñez)? Nunez could view Gakpo's arrival in two ways. But Salah never looks as rushed and rash as Nunez when he has a scoring chance, and his ability to score "heavy" goals -- goals in tight games that prove decisive -- is unmatched by any forward, including Haaland. [Sadio Mane](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/169797/Sadio-Mané) has moved on to [Bayern Munich](/soccer/team?id=132) in that time, and the [Senegal](/soccer/team?id=654) international has been a huge loss to Liverpool, but that exit has been counter-balanced by Salah committing himself to a new three-year contract in July. [Luis Diaz](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/257390/Luis-Díaz), [Diogo Jota](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/208133/Diogo-Jota) and [Roberto Firmino](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/147234/Roberto-Firmino) are all sidelined with injuries of varying severity right now, but when they are fully fit, adding them to a group that also includes [Mohamed Salah](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/173896/Mohamed-Salah), [Fabio Carvalho](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/231049/Fabio-Carvalho) and Nunez will ensure a regular selection headache for Klopp, even before Gakpo is brought into the equation.

PSV Eindhoven, the employer, and Liverpool have inked the deal for the 23-year old man to join the Premier League. The Reds stole the show from Manchester ...

He scored in each of his country’s group games against Senegal, Ecuador and Qatar. The Togo-born is expected in England for medical check-up and his fee could jump to £44.3 million – a record for the Dutch outfit. PSV Eindhoven, the employer, and Liverpool have inked the deal for the 23-year old man to join the Premier League.

Liverpool are on the brink of adding Cody Gakpo to their squad for the second half of the season after agreeing a deal with PSV Eindhoven.

So how about seeing Gapko and Nunez line up together as a front two? [reported by the ECHO](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc), the Reds have been in advanced talks to sign the versatile forward after the club accelerated their interest over the last 48 hours. The formation would also allow Nunez to play more centrally. This formation would also allow Reds boss Klopp to rotate and freshen things up in terms of personnel. The formation is also one that Reds supporters are used to seeing. Both clubs are not making any announcements about the transfer fee.” [Darwin Nunez](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) to be the man playing down the middle with Salah on the right and Gapko on the left. [Mohamed Salah](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) and Luis Diaz. It’s thought the interest from other clubs has prompted [Jurgen Klopp’s](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) side could line up with the Dutchman. [Liverpool](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) to make their move for Gakpo ahead of the January transfer window. The [ECHO understands](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) the initial fee will be around the £37m figure with add-ons likely to take the deal well past the £40m mark.

PSG striker Kylian Mbappe. A pundit has told Liverpool to avoid the signing of Kylian Mbappe and pursue another world-beater with a large price tag instead.

And the Reds have also agreed to sign Cody Gakpo from PSV. “They need that position, they need him to sign. They are two teams with enough history to be big enough for Mbappe. And he also feels he would be more successful if he went to another major European outfit, such as Real. Mbappe hit a hat-trick in the marquee event, helping Les Blues to complete an astonishing comeback. Mbappe is once again in sensational form this season, having notched 19 goals and five assists in 20 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool have exacted revenge for a rare transfer defeat in 2021 by winning the race for Cody Gakpo and prolonging a transfer trend that dates back four ...

Gakpo, at an initial £37m ($45m/€42m), is significantly cheaper, but also walks into a tricky situation at the other end of the East Lancashire road. But United still had a right to expect an awful lot more from a player who ranks as the fourth-most expensive signing in their history. [Virgil van Dijk](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/liverpool-transfer-gakpo-dijk-united-25841555) also turned down the west London outfit, as well as Manchester City, above all because of the opportunity to work with a 'special' manager in Klopp (via [AS](https://en.as.com/en/2020/07/05/soccer/1593941061_553976.html)). United's Sancho move, on the other hand, has been a spectacular failure. Liverpool may have been confident of landing the Englishman up until those wage expectations emerged. In 2021, for instance, United beat Liverpool in the race to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. Klopp and his assistant Pep Lijnders were 'major admirers' of Sancho, and FSG were 'more than happy' to meet Dortmund's £73m demands (via Now, though, they have exacted fresh revenge on Erik ten Hag's side by striking a deal for PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo. [Luis Díaz](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/cody-gakpo-luis-diaz-liverpool-25839710) from FC Porto, but the Colombian 'had the dream of reaching of Liverpool', according to his father, and agreed to join when the Reds swooped in (via the [ECHO](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/luis-diaz-liverpool-tottenham-hotspur-23034401)). [Thiago](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/liverpool-tranfer-bellingham-thiago-fsg-25819549) and [Fabinho](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/fabinho-liverpool-transfer-rebeca-tavares-25735180) both favoured the switch to Anfield over Old Trafford (via [The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/liverpool-thiago-transfer-news-announcement-interview-latest-b484609.html)/ [The Statesman](https://www.thestatesman.com/sports/fabinho-why-i-chose-to-join-liverpool-over-manchester-united-1502641960.html)) while [Darwin Núñez](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/cody-gakpo-transfer-liverpool-nunez-25841111) chose to forego the higher wage offered by the Red Devils to play Champions League football at Anfield (via [David Lynch/The National News](https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2022/06/21/striking-differences-in-liverpool-and-man-citys-big-money-deals-for-nunez-and-haaland/)). [Sign up to the Liverpool.com newsletter here — it only takes a few seconds!](https://www.liverpool.com/newsletter-preference-centre/) [Alisson](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/liverpool-awards-salah-diaz-alisson-25735024) snubbed Chelsea to join the Reds in 2018 because he 'admired Liverpool's history' and believed he could realise his dream of winning the Champions League at Anfield (via [FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/alisson-reveals-why-he-chose-liverpool-over-chelsea)).