PSV Eindhoven will be receiving a call from Manchester United with an offer of £43 million for 23-year-old Cody Gakpo as they look to replace the departed Cristiano Ronaldo.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner left the club by mutual consent during the World Cup break after one-and-a-half years into his two-year contract. A series of events leading up to the bombshell interview that saw Ronaldo talk a lot about the way the club is run and his feelings towards Erik ten Hag and his style of management.
The Red Devils are now looking to move on from that episode by signing Gakpo from PSV in January to replace Ronaldo.
They almost signed the PSV man in the summer but after a back and forth which saw the deal collapse, the club forked out £86 million to AFC Ajax Amsterdam instead for Brazil forward Antony. A summer 2023 transfer for Gakpo looked to be the initial goal but Ronaldo’s exit has forced their hand.
Gakpo had a great World Cup for the Netherlands, scoring three goals in the group stages to help the Dutch progress to the round of 16. They were knocked out in the quarter finals after a heated match with Argentina and Gakpo’s performance in all five games has convinced the club to make a move for him in January.
Erik ten Hag has vowed to sign a replacement for Ronaldo in the winter window. He is the one pushing for Gakpo and the young Dutchman’s performance has vindicated his efforts to bring him over to Old Trafford. A bid will be submitted in the coming weeks to PSV according to the reports.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United and Real Madrid are shaping up to battle United for Gakpo’s signature, according to the reports. However, the Premier League giants are said to be exploring a backup option for Gakpo if the deal does not pull through.
Ronaldo’s Portugal teammate Gonçalo Ramos is the targeted backup, according to ESPN. The Benfica man gave a commanding performance at the tournament, scoring the only hat-trick of the 2022 World Cup to date against Switzerland after replacing Ronaldo in the starting lineup for the round of 16 tie.
Gabby Agbonlahor sees no reason why United cannot go for both players in the January transfer window. Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “They’ve both been outstanding haven’t they?
“They want to get both – Manchester United. They’re short on strikers, they’ve got this money, maybe they’re selling – the Glazers? Go and get both.”
However, budget constraints could prevent them from going for both of them. ESPN reports that Benfica were considering bids of around €20 million for Ramos but after his World Cup performance, his stocks have risen. He has also scored 14 goals in 21 games for Benfica so far this season.
United’s reported £43 million for Gakpo bid is a gamble they are willing to take on the Dutchman who ten Hag has high opinions of but Ramos remains a relative unknown to the club.
