Former Manchester United strikers coach, Benni McCarthy, has revealed that the club rejected an offer to sign Dutch forward Cody Gakpo.
According to the South Africa legend who worked with Erik ten Hag from 2022 to 2024 revealed that Ten Hag was eager to sign Gakpo as part of his rebuilding plans.
However, the chief scouts of the club blocked the move. Gakpo eventually joined Liverpool in January 2023 and went on to win the 2024/25 campaign and has since become a key player for the Reds.
Speaking to Givemesport, McCarthy, who is now the head coach of the Kenya national team, revealed that they were denied the chance to bring Gakpo to Old Trafford.
“Gakpo was the one that we wanted the most and missed out on, I think he was the first player that we sat down and discussed, and decided that he was the player who would fit in perfectly,” he said.
“We knew we could play him alongside Marcus Rashford when Rashy was really on song in 2022. I think we were so close to getting him. At one stage, it was ours to lose. The agent knew Erik and there were really good talks.
“He could play on the left, he could work as a false nine. With him and Rashford, we’d have been strong down the middle and on the left,” explained the former Bafana Bafana star.
“Then I was told the scouting department had watched him numerous times and they didn’t rate him. They said the stats weren’t right. For me, with my experience, I know what you need to deliver at a special club,” he added.
“You don’t need stats to tell you that. The naked eye gives you so much more than just stats. Obviously, the club have a system, and the system won, so he joined Liverpool and won the league,” he added.
Meanwhile, last season, Gakpo, who is of Togolese heritage, enjoyed a standout campaign, scoring 18 goals and providing six assists across all competitions.
Despite the challenges, Benni McCarthy played a key role in helping the team secure two domestic trophies, the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.
