One World Cup player has particularly impressed Brentford defender Ben Mee.
In light of rumors that Manchester United will intensify their transfer pursuit in January, Cody Gakpo has been compared to Kevin De Bruyne.
A string of outstanding World Cup performances will only have raised his stock in the Dutchman’s eyes. Manager Erik ten Hag is said to have toyed with the idea of signing him in the summer.
For PSV Eindhoven, Gakpo has so far put together a captivating season. In just 14 Eredivisie games in 2022/23, the 6′ 3″ attacker has shown he can do it all with nine league goals and no less than 12 assists.
The Europa League, Dutch domestic cups, and, perhaps most significantly, the World Cup all featured the same goal-scoring feats.
Gakpo has scored three of the team’s five goals, including one in each of the team’s first four games, helping the Netherlands win Group A and set up a Round of 16 matchups with the USA.
Brentford center-back Ben Mee thinks United may get more than they bargained for by signing the 23-year-old because he claims to have seen flashes of De Bruyne in his recent performances. United is rumored to be debating whether to meet PSV’s reported £52 million asking price.
According to Mee’s article for The Athletic, the Manchester City forward has a Kevin De Bruyne-like quality about him and is growing in terms of passing range and vision.
De Bruyne has shown him how to deliver precise passes with the outside of his boot, how to guide balls around corners or into open areas for teammates to grab on the move, and how to make a decent cross.
He also strikes the ball like De Bruyne, as evidenced by his finish for the opening goal against Qatar, which was executed with such precision.
Then there’s that talent for gathering, spinning, and driving upfield with the ball, which De Bruyne exhibited repeatedly for City and which Gakpo unquestionably possesses.
