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This week, surprise reports from Sky Germany claimed that Bayern Munich were sniffing around Cody Gakpo as a potential summer signing.

 Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reports that Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl has identified Gakpo as a viable solution for a problematic left-wing position in Bavaria.

The Dutch international registered 18 goals and 6 assists in 49 appearances for Liverpool this season, despite battling with an injury towards the end of the campaign.

Plettenberg revealed that Eberl has “held preliminary talks” with Liverpool, who may entertain offers for Gakpo given their own attacking overhaul.

With Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz also linked to exits, Liverpool face balancing squad depth against financial gains.

Bayern had long considered Wirtz their top target to revitalize an attack transitioning beyond veterans Thomas Müller and Kingsley Coman.

However, Liverpool’s aggressive €100+ million bid and Arne Slot’s personal intervention convinced the 22-year-old German international to prioritize Anfield.

This setback left Bayern scrambling for alternatives, with Plettenberg noting the club has “shifted focus entirely to securing a high-caliber left winger” ahead of Vincent Kompany’s first full season in charge.

Gakpo, 26, now features on a shortlist that includes Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma and AC Milan’s Rafael Leão.

Now major German newspaper BILD has confirmed Sky Germany’s report, with chief BILD journalist Christian Falk reporting on his website that Gakpo is not the leading candidate at this stage:

“Bayern Munich are looking to bolster their attacking areas this summer and signing a new left-winger is a priority.”

“The German giants were keen to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, but he has opted to join Liverpool instead.”

“Bayern are now checking on other options, and Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo has emerged as one of the targets this summer.”

“We understand that Mitoma and Leao are considered higher up on the shortlist than Liverpool’s Dutch winger?

Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams is also on the list, but nothing is hot at the moment.”

Gakpo is not a player who Liverpool would want to lose, but the stark reality is that every asset has its price.

Most reports on the Dutchman’s transfer to the Reds in 2023 place the final amount at around £37 million, potentially rising to £44 million with add-ons.

It’s clear that the Anfield club would want to sell the player at a marked-up price for an individual they developed for two seasons.

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