Aheed Abrar
Cody Gakpo had ‘agreed personal terms’ before Manchester United pulled the plug on deal in the recent transfer window
Manchester United had come to terms with the demands of PSV Eindhoven star Cody Gakpo in the recent transfer window before pulling the plug on the deal, according to The Athletic (Subscription Required) [h/t Manchester Evening News].
The Red Devils were highly interested in the 23-year-old and had ‘agreed personal terms’ with him. However, the Manchester-based club eventually decided against signing the Holland international.
United went after another Eredivisie forward in Antony. The Red Devils paid big money to acquire the Brazilian’s signature this summer. And the money spent on the 22-year-old compelled the Old Trafford side to cool down their interest in Gakpo.
Erik ten Hag has many options to choose from up front. However, with the uncertainty around the future of certain players, it was evidently important for the club to bolster the front line.
In the end, Edinson Cavani was the only attacker from last season that left United in the summer. And the gaffer also decided to keep hold of Antony Elanga for the 2022/23 campaign, which was again a factor in the Gakpo deal being discarded.
Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly looked set to leave the club. However, the Portuguese international has ended up staying in Manchester after the transfer deadline.
Ten Hag has a host of options to choose from. For the moment, Ronaldo has had to bide his time on the bench with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Ancho performing well.
Antony has also come and made an immediate impact. The Brazilian started against Arsenal and scored the opening goal of the game on his debut.
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While Gakpo is a talented prospect, for now, United seem to have enough depth in the forward line. However, it will be interesting to see if the Manchester-based club revisit the 23-year-old’s signing in the coming transfer windows.
