Leeds United showed firm interest in signing Cody Gakpo towards the end of the summer window.
Victor Orta made a trip to the Netherlands to convince the PSV Eindhoven star to make the switch to Elland Road. No deal took shape, and the forward remains at the Eredivisie side.
PSV chief Marcel Brands had revealed Leeds made the ‘best offer’ for the 23-year-old, which was not accepted by his side. A few other clubs had also looked at Gakpo in the last window.
The Dutchman has starred for PSV this term, managing 13 goals and 17 assists from 24 matches. He is in set to start for his country against Senegal today at the World Cup. Ex-Netherlands midfielder Willem van Hanegem claims Leeds’ signing efforts distracted Gakpo earlier this season.
“I expect a lot from Gakpo. In the summer, I had the idea that he was bothered by all the nagging about a transfer to Leeds United or not. In that phase he sometimes drowned in top competitions,” Van Hanegem wrote in his columnd for Algemeen Dagblad, relayed by MSN.
“I liked that, but that didn’t mean I thought he was a bad player. I know from a reliable source that this boy is very well placed; that he is really trying to get the most out of his career. This World Cup is the time for him to show himself to the world.”
Leeds are still said to be interested in the player. Back in September, journalist Rik Elfrink stated Jesse Marsch’s side are planning to make an approach for the player in January.
It will be difficult for Leeds to sign Gakpo, considering that he has talked about the possibility of joining clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.
