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I’ll be honest. There were times this summer when I thought Cody Gakpo might actually leave Liverpool. There was interest from Manchester City, there were other clubs being mentioned and Liverpool were spending huge money on their attack. So I wasn’t completely convinced what the club would do. But looking at Gakpo’s start to this season? I’m very glad they kept him. Gakpo is delivering The numbers speak for themselves. No Liverpool player has recorded more Premier League goal involvements this season than Cody Gakpo. And after what he did against Ipswich, it’s not difficult to see why. Two assists for Alexander Isak. Two brilliant pieces of service. And suddenly Isak has his first Liverpool goals while Gakpo has played a huge part in making it happen. That’s exactly what we wanted to see. Imagine if Liverpool had sold him This is what keeps coming into my head. What if Liverpool had accepted one of those offers for Gakpo? We’d have lost a player who can play across the front three, score goals, create chances and has already shown that he can perform in the Premier League. Yes, Liverpool signed Bradley Barcola. And I’m absolutely delighted they did. But Barcola shouldn’t have to come in at the expense of Gakpo. We needed more attacking quality. Not less. And keeping Gakpo gives Andoni Iraola another player he can rely on. He’s already showing what he can do for Isak This is probably the biggest positive for me. We spent £125m on Alexander Isak. So the obvious question was always going to be: Who’s going to provide him with the chances? Well, against Ipswich, Gakpo gave him two. And Isak put them away. Simple. That’s the sort of relationship Liverpool need to develop. Gakpo has the ability to carry the ball, cut inside, combine with other attackers and put dangerous balls into the box. Isak wants that service. If these two can build a proper understanding, Liverpool could have something very special. And now we’ve got Barcola as well This is where I’m getting excited. Gakpo staying doesn’t mean Liverpool can’t still improve the attack. We’ve now got Barcola. We’ve got Wirtz. We’ve got Isak. We’ve got Gakpo. And we’ve got some very exciting young players coming through as well. Suddenly there is competition for places. And that’s exactly what I want to see. Nobody should have a guaranteed place simply because of their name. If Gakpo keeps playing like this, he deserves to start. Was I wrong about Gakpo? Maybe. I’ll hold my hands up. I’ve always liked Gakpo, but there have been times when I’ve questioned whether he was going to become a truly important Liverpool player. There were games where he looked anonymous. There were periods where I thought he needed to be more consistent. But football can change quickly. And perhaps we’re starting to see the best version of Cody Gakpo. He’s confident. He’s aggressive. He’s creating. He’s scoring. And he’s looking far more influential. We still need more from the right I don’t want to get carried away after three games. Liverpool still have problems to solve. I’ve already said that I want more creativity from the right-hand side. We can’t have every dangerous attack coming through Gakpo and Wirtz on the left. That’s where Barcola could be massive. If Liverpool can get the left and right sides working together, suddenly defenders have a much bigger problem. They can’t simply overload one side. They have to worry about Gakpo. They have to worry about Barcola. They have to worry about Wirtz. And then there’s Isak waiting in the middle. That’s the Liverpool attack I want to see. Keep Gakpo. Absolutely. So, were Liverpool right to keep Cody Gakpo? For me, absolutely. He’s currently Liverpool’s leading player for Premier League goal involvements. He’s already scored. He’s already created goals. And, most importantly, he’s showing that he can provide the service Alexander Isak needs. I don’t know what will happen over the course of the season. Maybe his form will dip. Maybe Barcola eventually takes his place. Maybe Wirtz becomes the main creative force. But right now? I wouldn’t be selling Cody Gakpo for anybody. Liverpool needed more attacking options this summer. Keeping Gakpo was part of that. And after watching him start the season like this, I’m more convinced than ever that Liverpool made the right call. The Dutchman is producing. He’s creating for Isak. And he’s reminding everyone why Liverpool wanted him in the first place. Long may it continue. Jamie (The Kopite View)