Van Persie tells Man Utd and Arsenal all about ‘dangerous’ Gody Gakpo

Robin van Persie has insisted that whoever prises Cody Gakpo away from PSV Eindhoven will be acquiring a “dangerous” player as Premier League clubs continue to court the prolific Dutch forward.

Gakpo was heavily linked with both Arsenal and Manchester United in the summer and the player himself admitted that he held discussions with Erik ten Hag over a potential summer move to Old Trafford.

Other top European clubs also have Gakpo high on their wishlist as a result of his remarkable returns for PSV. Gakpo plundered 21 goals in 47 games for the Dutch giants last year and has already clocked up a staggering 27 goal contributions (13G, 14A) in just 21 games so far this term.

It is believed that Arsenal and Manchester United are still interested in striking a deal in the future for Gakpo – and Van Persie, who played for both sides, has talked up the Dutch international’s attributes.

“He is a good player,” Van Persie told BT Sport. “He always finds a way in most games to have an influence, in terms of making an assist or a goal, he’s always dangerous.

“He is not really an out-and-out striker. He can play as a No.10, he can play on the wing, or as a false striker, he can play in those four positions in front. He has a good physique, he is strong, fast, he can dribble. He is an all-round player.”

The Gunners were given the opportunity to run the rule over Gakpo on Thursday night when they travelled to the Philips Stadium in the Europa League. The PSV man ran riot against Mikel Arteta’s side and had two goals ruled out for offside, underlining why he has become one of Europe’s most sought-after players.

While a move to Manchester United fell through in the final days of the transfer window, Leeds United and Southampton also made attempts to acquire Gakpo’s services – but the winger decided to stay put.

In an interview with The Times, Gakpo said: “I was close to leaving, I spoke to Erik ten Hag a few times at Manchester United. In the end the deal didn’t go through, which was a shame, for me and my development, and because Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, but also for PSV, because to transfer a player to Manchester United is a good thing for the club.

“It ended about a week before the end of the transfer window and in that week I had to decide if I would go to Leeds or Southampton. In the end I stayed, but it was a stressful period.”