Cody Gakpo has become an essential player for Liverpool, scoring vital goals at critical moments, especially after a positional shift under Arne Slot this season.

As he prepares for Liverpool’s derby against Manchester United, Gakpo might reflect on what might have been—perhaps in a different shade of red.

On Boxing Day, he marked two years since joining Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven, a journey that could have taken a different path had Erik ten Hag successfully brought him to Manchester United in early 2022. “But in the end, it didn’t happen, and then Liverpool came along. It was the best decision for me,” he remarked.

That decision seems significant, especially with United struggling in the bottom half of the table, while their forwards—Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee, and Marcus Rashford—have had inconsistent performances, facing criticism from fans. In contrast, Gakpo has become a vital part of Slot’s title-contending squad.

While Mohamed Salah has undoubtedly been Liverpool’s standout attacker this season, leading in goals and assists with 37 contributions, Slot can rightly question where his team would be without Gakpo. Though Gakpo has scored only five Premier League goals, nearly all have come at pivotal moments in their title pursuit.