In recent weeks, Cody Gakpo has become one of Liverpool’s brightest stars.

Following the Reds’ Christmas swoop for the Dutchman, Cody Gakpo joined Liverpool at the beginning of January, but his first few weeks at Anfield weren’t easy.

Gakpo didn’t fit in right away when he joined a Liverpool team that was struggling to maintain consistency or rediscover the identity that had distinguished them in previous seasons. Unlike the front three players the Reds were used to in the time of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane, the tall, rangy forward who joined had a rising reputation throughout Europe.

Gakpo, who had been heavily linked with Manchester United prior to joining Liverpool, was playing through the middle and out wide in the early going. United supporters used his early performances as some sort of justification for their team not signing him, and the recently turned 24-year-old was seen as indicative of the issues at the Reds and the club’s once-lauded recruitment strategy.

To say the least, it was harsh to judge Gakpo at such a young age and in a team that had not yet found its rhythm from previous campaigns.

The devastation at Arsenal reveals the harsh reality of Liverpool and Manchester City’s biggest title rivals.
With a game in hand over Liverpool and a 3-0 victory over Leicester City on Monday night at the King Power Stadium, the Reds were able to close the gap to the top four teams to just one point. Newcastle United and Manchester United, who both still trail Liverpool by one point, are now nervously eyeing the Reds after almost celebrating their Champions League qualification a few weeks ago.

With their victory over the Foxes, Liverpool made it seven straight victories in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp’s team has now given themselves a chance to finish in the top four, which seemed improbable just a few short weeks ago.

The squad’s performance levels have increased, almost to a man. One of the players who has increased their contributions significantly is Gakpo, whose £37 million fee, which at the time seemed like a bargain but now feels like an overpayment, is very much back in the former category.

Gakpo now resembles a Liverpool player; he makes an impact; he adds variety to the Reds’ front line; and he has gained height to demonstrate that he more than belongs. Fans of the Reds are eager to see what he can do when the new season begins because they expect the Reds to maintain the high standards they have been setting for the past few weeks.

Gakpo has experienced the biggest increase in value for Liverpool since the beginning of the year, according to data analysts at Football Benchmark and the CIES Football Observatory in Switzerland, who use a variety of metrics to determine a player’s value in the transfer market.

Gakpo’s market value is currently estimated by Football Benchmark to be £61 million, up £7,3 million from the $53,7 million that analysts gave him in January. The Reds paid roughly 45% less for him than what Football Benchmark valued him at at that particular valuation. Gakpo’s performance since his arrival has led to a market value that is 64% higher than his purchase price, according to Football Benchmark’s metrics. The only other players to have seen a rise in market value since the beginning of the year are Ibrahima Konate, Alisson Becker, and Diogo Jota.

According to CIES analysts, Gakpo is worth €80 (£69.5m), which is an increase of £32.5m over the purchase price for the Dutch international and an increase in valuation of almost 88 percent.

The data point to a victory for Liverpool’s hiring team, one that hadn’t appeared to be in the bag in Gakpo’s first few weeks at the club.

Gakpo’s age profile indicates that, should he continue to grow and continue on his current trajectory, his value could almost triple soon, illustrating why the club has found the Anfield recruitment strategy to be so successful in recent years. The Reds’ owners, Fenway Sports Group, will need to support a significant rebuild of some of the squad this summer in order to ensure the struggles of this season aren’t repeated. It is hoped that some more of that transfer success will arrive at that time.