Southampton failed to sign PSV Eindhoven star Cody Gakpo towards the latter stages of the summer window.
The forward’s decision to not leave the Eredivisie star has helped him shine for the club this season, managing 13 goals and 17 assists. He also starred for the Netherlands in their 2-0 win over Senegal at the World Cup.
Southampton scout Piet Buter claims the Saints had a chance to secure his services for around €35m earlier this year.
Buter made this claim to De Telegraaf, who have a report on the 23-year-old and his valuation. The newspaper states Gakpo’s asking price has gone through the roof after scoring at the World Cup, which puts him out of Southampton’s reach.
The Saints scout is aware that Gakpo could possibly end up at a top Premier League club in the coming windows. He is of the belief a move to Southampton would be best before taking a bigger step.
“For a player from the Eredivisie, a transfer to a club like Southampton would have been an ideal intermediate step, as was also the case for Mane and Van Dijk, but that route has been closed because the price tag is too high,” he explained.
“Then you almost automatically end up at a top club in England, but that step is very big. He really needs to improve for that. He still has parts of matches that he’s anonymous and sometimes doesn’t defend back either. And that is not possible at the highest level.”
Apart from Southampton, Leeds United also failed signing Gakpo in the last window. The Whites are reportedly said to be still in the picture for the attacker.
