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Liverpool boss Arne Slot has some big decisions to make this summer after inheriting the Anfield hot seat from a real legend in Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds saw Jurgen Klopp announce his intention to leave back in January, presenting a long run-up to a very emotional goodbye.
Klopp was chanting the name of Arne Slot as he said a final farewell, urging Liverpool fans to get behind the new boss.
The Dutchman wasn’t exactly the first name on the list in January when Klopp announced his departure.
Slot did win an Eredivisie title with Feyenoord though and his departure from Rotterdam was met similarly to Klopp’s from Liverpool.
Slot must now assess his Liverpool squad and fans will be looking at the Dutch players in the Liverpool squad and wondering what the future holds for them.
Photo by Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images
Defender Sepp van den Berg may leave this summer as he chases first-team action whilst Ryan Gravenberch needs to kick on having been told that he is in a ‘bad position’ at Liverpool.
Then we come to Cody Gakpo, who is one of the most interesting cases in the Liverpool squad.
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Liverpool snapped up Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven for £35million in January 2023, having been impressed with his displays at the World Cup in Qatar.
Gakpo dazzled for club and country but has largely blown hot and cold in a Liverpool shirt.
Gakpo hit 16 goals in all competitions last season but only eight came in the Premier League as he came in and out of the side.
The 25-year-old then went and excelled at Euro 2024, recording three goals and one assist in six games for the Netherlands.
Liverpool fans want to see that version of Gakpo; the one who looks like a ‘different player’ according to Daniel Sturridge.
Slot will be well aware of Gakpo’s talent having seen him shine in the Eredivisie and has now been told exactly where to play him.
Gary Neville has admitted speaking Gakpo’s former PSV boss Ruud van Nistelrooy about the Liverpool star
Speaking on Stick to Football, Neville noted that Van Nistelrooy feels Gakpo is purely a left winger and should not be deployed anywhere else.
The Dutchman has been played as a false nine and even in midfield at Liverpool with Luis Diaz often taking the left-wing spot at Anfield.
Neville admitted being impressed with Gakpo at Euro 2024, feeling that he looked ‘quick’ and ‘direct’ as a winger in the Dutch side.
“I went to speak to Ruud just after he’s first gone to Liverpool and he was struggling a little bit and I said to him ‘what about Gakpo’, because obviously United were looking at him weren’t they?
And he said he’s a left winger, that’s it.
So when Klopp was playing him like false nine, centre forward or a bit deeper in midfield at times, Ruud said he had him there at PSV and he said he’s absolutely a left winger and you watch him for Holland and he looks quick.
He looks like he can run with the ball, he looks direct,” he added.
Slot will have seen so much of Gakpo as a left-sided wide man during his time at PSV and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him take that role moving forward.
Left wingers such as Luis Sinisterra and Igor Paixao have thrived under Slot at Feyenoord and Gakpo could become vital in that role.
Van Nistelrooy is seemingly in no doubt over Gakpo’s best role; only time will tell whether Slot agrees.
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