Andoni Iraola has praised Cody Gakpo’s handling of transfer speculation this summer, saying the forward’s honesty throughout the process has strengthened their relationship.
The head coach addressed the Dutchman’s situation at his press conference ahead of Friday’s trip to Ipswich Town.
“Cody’s a very smart player,” Iraola said. “I think also my relationship with him has been very honest since the beginning. He was always aware of the situations in the market. We were constantly talking with each other.”
Gakpo remained at Anfield despite Manchester City having an £80m bid for him turned down earlier in the window. Iraola pointed to his form as further reason to keep faith in the 26-year-old.
“He has performed with us, I would say, very well in all the pre-season games, in all of the games,” he said. “He scored the first day, assisted the next one.”
The head coach said Gakpo’s application in training has matched his performances on the pitch. “He’s trained very well and I hope we keep him in the same level. I’m sure it’s going to be like this,” Iraola said.
He closed by underlining Gakpo’s importance to the squad heading into the new season. “I think he’s now in a good place physically, mentally, and I’m very happy to keep Cody, because for me he’s a very valuable player,” Iraola said.
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