Is Gakpo good enough for Man Utd? Malacia has his say on transfer talk raging around fellow Dutchman

Cody Gakpo continues to be heavily linked with Manchester United, and Tyrell Malacia says his fellow Dutchman is “good enough” for such a move. 

​Dutch forward has starred for PSVNow catching the eye at 2022 World CupBeing linked with teams across Europe

WHAT HAPPENED? The exciting 23-year-old Netherlands international has enhanced his reputation with a collection of impressive showings at the 2022 World Cup – with goals recorded in three group stage outings in Qatar. Gakpo is now said to be attracting interest from across Europe, with there plenty of speculation to suggest that a big-money offer from Old Trafford could be put to PSV at some stage in the near future.

WHAT THEY SAID: Malacia, who is already on United’s books, has told The Athletic when asked if Gakpo is ready to make a transfer away from his homeland: “He’s good enough for the top, there’s no doubt.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Gakpo is aware of the speculation that continues to rage around him – with 13 goals and 17 assists recorded at club level this season – but he continues to ignore the rumours while on international duty. He has said: “I have to be honest, I am not thinking about that now. I am focused on the tournament and want to keep performing well, to keep helping the team. Hopefully, when we become world champions we can think about other things. I try to keep focused and the other players don’t really speak about that kind of thing.”

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WHAT NEXT? The Netherlands are due to be back in action on Friday when facing Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals, with Gakpo looking to catch the eye again ahead of the January transfer window.