Former Man Utd striker Louis Saha claims that the Red Devils should wait another couple of years before signing PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo.
The Netherlands international did well at the World Cup, with three goals in their five matches at the tournament, before the Dutch crashed out to Argentina on penalties.
He has been even better for his club this campaign with Gakpo contributing nine goals and 12 assists in 14 Eredivisie matches before the World Cup break.
Man Utd were linked to Gakpo during the summer transfer window and recent reports have claimed they are going to attempt to bring in to Old Trafford in January.
Gakpo, whose price tag has shot up from £25m in the summer to around £65m this winter, recently said that he would consider a January move to Man Utd after thinking about them in the summer.
The 23-year-old said: “I thought about Manchester United, but when that didn’t happen, I couldn’t remember. And I started to doubt. Leeds United did come. Should I go there?
“Now I wait (for) everything. I haven’t heard from Manchester United yet. When they come, I’ll think about it. I also seek the help of God in these decisions.”
Man Utd are looking to bring in more forward options after Cristiano Ronaldo left the club by mutual consent last month but Saha thinks it is a bit early to bring in Gakpo.
“He’s a very good player, and has had a really good tournament,” Saha told Compare.bet. “His performances on the biggest stage prove that he can perform in the Premier League, he’s so quick, and scores goals for his club and national team.
“I’d like to see him play at this level for another one or two years. I’m not convinced he should be signed straight away and he’ll be the right fit.
“We’ve seen quality players like [Jadon] Sancho struggle to transition to the Premier League. We know Gakpo is a quality player but would a move to United be right at the moment for his development?”
PSV director of football Marcel Brands warned Man Utd and other clubs yesterday that it would take a “record transfer” for the Dutch outfit if other teams want to sign Gakpo in January.
“You have to be realistic. When you talk about Cody Gakpo and the price tag, how many clubs are able to buy a player of that calibre? You are talking about maybe 10 or 12 clubs in Europe,” Brands told the PSV supporters’ club chat show Eeuwig Trouw.
“You have to need a player in that position and be able and willing to spend the money in January, which is normally less hectic than the summer. We have yet to see if it all happens. He has no clause or anything.
“And no amounts have been agreed on either. The agreements that were made were there before my time. Amounts have not been discussed, but if the right club comes that Cody would like to go.
“Those agreements were already made before I came. It must be a record transfer for PSV anyway. Then you know in which direction it should go.”
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