One of the breakout stars of the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been Cody Gakpo.
The Dutchman has been in fantastic form for PSV over the last couple of season, resulting in transfer links to some of Europe's biggest clubs. However, this tournament would have been the first opportunity for many football fans to get a real look at him.
He has certainly impressed. Gakpo would score in each of the Netherlands' three group games, becoming the first player to do that in the nation's history.
At 23-years old, he is sure to have plenty of suitors in the months ahead. The players was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United last summer, while Real Madrid links have also emerged in recent times.
In saying that, some feel that not all potential moves are created equal.
Virgil van Dijk throws Manchester United dig over Gakpo deal
The form of Cody Gakpo has been perhaps the biggest story in the Dutch camp since the start of the tournament, with the team booking their place in the quarter-final after a 3-1 win over the USA yesterday.
In the aftermath of that game, their captain Virgil van Dijk was asked by the The Athletic about the prospect of Gakpo moving to the 'next level' with Manchester United or Real Madrid, his loyalties to Liverpool shone through.
Are Manchester United and Real Madrid on the same level? No disrespect, not at all.
I definitely think he has that next step in him. I definitely feel like it could happen, whether that is in the winter or the summer or next year, time will tell.
He is a great boy who works hard, very talented and definitely there is more in him. We are so pleased he is doing so well for us. Long may it continue.
You get the sense that he knew exactly what he was doing there.
As for Cody Gakpo himself, he told The Athletic that his focus was solely on the World Cup for now.
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.
It is rumoured that a fee of around £43million could be enough to secure Gakpo's services in January, a potential bargain for a player that has scored 34 goals for PSV since the start of last season.
It will be interesting to see where he ends up.
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