‘Van Dijk reacts to Cody Gakpo message as Liverpool exit talk intensifies’
Virgil van Dijk has reacted to a message from Cody Gakpo on social media amid growing speculation of the attacker being set to leave Liverpool for Bayern Munich.
Liverpool won their second Premier League title at a canter last month, as they finished on 84 points, 10 ahead of their nearest title rivals Arsenal.
Arne Slot is unlikely to need to delve too deep into the transfer market after their success, with both Mohamed Salah and Van Dijk set to remain at the club after each signing new two-year contracts.
There are set to be a few exits, though, and one has already been confirmed with goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher joining Brentford on 3 May for an initial fee of £12.5million [Sky Sports].
Dutch attacker Gakpo could be next out of the door, after former scout Mick Brown recently told Football Insider that Bayern are keen on his services if he’s allowed to leave Anfield this summer.
Virgil van Dijk reacts to Cody Gakpo message amid Reds exit rumours
Gakpo joined Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven for an initial £37million [The Athletic] in December 2022, and he has played 128 times for the club over the last two-and-a-half years, helping them win the EFL Cup in 2023/24 and the Premier League title last season.
He could be set to leave for Bayern this summer, but is currently on international duty with the Netherlands national team, and he registered an assist in their 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Finland on Saturday (7 June).
Gakpo reacted to the victory with an Instagram post of him featuring for his country, while he added a lion emoji to his caption to represent the symbol on their badge.
Van Dijk, who plays alongside Gakpo at both club and international level, reacted to the 26-year-old’s message by liking the post, while new Reds signing and fellow Dutchman Jeremie Frimpong did the same, and Liverpool stars Federico Chiesa and Conor Bradley also followed suit.
Tottenham man Mickey van de Ven also chose to like his message, as did Manchester City defender Nathan Ake and Bournemouth forward Justin Kluivert, with each player also having represented the ‘Oranje’ during their respective careers.
Liverpool must offer Gakpo a new contract this summer in the face of Bayern’s interest
Football Insider verdict
Liverpool’s 2024/25 success was obviously fronted by Mohamed Salah, but Gakpo certainly played his part on all fronts and proved himself as one of boss Slot’s most effective attackers throughout the campaign.
The Dutch forward registered 18 goals and seven assists in 49 appearances in all competitions, with key strikes against the likes of Real Madrid, in the Champions League group-stage, and Man City as the league title race heated up in December.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 128 | 41 | 17 |
His fine form has understandably alerted clubs to his potential availability this summer, but Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke recently revealed that the Reds would much rather hand him a new contract this summer rather than sell him to an interested team like Bayern.
That means that the decision is likely in Gakpo’s hands over whether he would like to leave or stay on Merseyside, so the Reds should make him an offer that he cannot refuse, especially given that he is believed to still be on the same terms he signed upon arrival from PSV.
Slot clearly wants to keep the 26-year-old around ahead of next season, where his side will look to challenge at the top once more, and so it is imperative that Gakpo stays by any means possible following his strong performances that helped them win the title last month.