Liverpool star reveals how Manchester United transfer brought him to Anfield

The success at Liverpool this season has been as a result of the transfer business done over the past few years.

The last few years under Jurgen Klopp saw the Reds put together a group of players that would serve the club for the long term. In the past two seasons, the club was not afraid to spend big and bring in the likes of Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

This season under Arne Slot, the fans at Anfield has seen the true quality of the players. Liverpool have managed to put together an impressive run since the start of the 2024/25 season. The Reds sit top of the Premier League and Champions League group phase, and are challenging on all fronts for all trophies available.

Quiz: Can you name the team Liverpool signed these players from?

1 of 10

Dominik Szoboszlai

How Manchester United transfer sparked Liverpool move

There are so many interesting stories about how Liverpool’s first team stars ended up at Anfield. Virgil Van Dijk almost joined Manchester City, and Mohamed Salah was reportedly a second choice target for Liverpool’s recruitment team.

Cody Gakpo is one of the players that has been transformed under Arne Slot this season. After an impressive campaign for the Netherlands in EURO 2024, the Dutch forward has continued his form at club level. The 25-year old had eight league goals last season, and has already equalled the mark after 22 games this campaign.

Gakpo narrated how he ended up at Liverpool to the Player’s Tribune, and how Manchester United signing Antony from Ajax was one of the reasons he ended up at Anfield:

”…one day, I had a meeting with the pastor from my church back in Holland, and he brought a friend who was a pastor somewhere else.

This other pastor said, ‘Can I tell you something?’ I said of course. This was before any big clubs had come knocking on my door. And he said that God told him that I would go to Liverpool. I kind of laughed it off like, Yeah, nice, we will see about that. There was already a little bit of interest from Manchester United, so I thought, We’ll see.”

The forward revealed how scoring a hattrick caused him to stay at PSV before eventually joining the Reds.

”Then in the summer of 2022, United went for Antony. I was like, What should I do? At this point I could go to Leeds, Southampton, or I could stay at PSV. I prayed, and I asked God for guidance. But you see, I had to make sure I got his message.

So I said, If I score only one time, I’ll go to Southampton…. If I score two times, I’ll go to Leeds…. If I score three times, I’ll stay.”

”…I scored three, so my fate changed. I stayed at PSV.”