Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

Former Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has revealed how close the club came to signing Cody Gakpo before the Dutch international joined Liverpool.

In January 2023, Gakpo, who was enjoying a spectacular first half of the season at PSV Eindhoven, was linked with a move to several Premier League clubs.

He revealed in an interview in the Players’ Tribune that United, Southampton and Leeds United had all expressed their interest the previous summer.

It was the same window Erik ten Hag was appointed as United coach and signed several players with links to the Eredivise.

Gakpo could have joined United before he signed for Liverpool.

“The manager asked me to write up a profile for the player and to take it to the scouting department, so they knew my opinion.

“Then I was told the scouting department had watched him numerous times and they didn’t rate him,” McCarthy, who was Ten Hag’s assistant at United for two years, added.

“They said the stats weren’t right

The naked eye gives you so much more than just stats.

“Obviously the club have a system, and the system won, so he joined Liverpool and won the league.

“People can say what they like but we tried to bring in great players that would fit
For more news relating to Manchester United, visit our sister site MUFC Live.