Cody Gakpo's message to struggling new Liverpool signings after $580M spend

Cody Gakpo

Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo has defended the club's high-profile signings and claimed that they wouldn't be under scrutiny if the team were winning.

Over $580 million was spent by Liverpool this summer, as Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, and Giovanni Leoni joined Arne Slot's roster. However, Wirtz, Isak, and Kerkez have struggled, with only Ekitke hitting the ground running.

Mass spending has weighed on Liverpool during a difficult period, as the club has lost eight of its last 11 games and shows no signs of improvement.

After Liverpool won the Premier League last season, some of the blame has been placed on the newcomers, but Gakpo has rushed to their defense.

Liverpool made a flawless, but unconvincing start to this season, winning the opening seven games by the narrowest of margins.

The goals have since dried up, and Wirtz has yet to produce an attacking return after arriving for $150 million.

Isak, who arrived for $176 million, has just one assist in five Premier League games.

Gakpo believes that all new signings need time to adapt, and has called on the veteran players to make the transition easier.

Gakpo

"Every time a new player comes in, it's a little bit of adaptation for those surrounding the player,"

"It's a process, and it's going well, but it doesn't help that we aren't winning games.

“We are improving, but because we aren't winning, it can become a topic." Wirtz has shown signs of brilliance, recording two assists in four Champions League games.

The German international has also performed well for his nation, and head coach Julian Nagelsmann has criticized Slot for not utilizing him effectively.

Nagelsmann

"Liverpool could also help him out by scoring some of the chances he creates,"

"They somehow don't like to shoot the ball in."

However, Nagelsmann also echoed Gakpo's thoughts on the broader context, saying: "To be honest, the overall situation doesn't make it easy for Flo either.

“The whole club isn't as stable this year as it was last year. It's much harder to slip into the team now.

"If you look at the game against [Manchester] City, they were actually the worse team over the 90 minutes. So it's also difficult for Flo to make a big impact.

“Ultimately, the overall situation is such that he just needs a little more time, which is normal; you see that with other players who move to the Premier League too."

Wirtz has created 16 chances in the Premier League this season, and Nagelsmann expects things to click in the near future.

Nagelsmann

"We all know what he's capable of, and it's perfectly normal for a player of his age to go through a bit of a dip in form,"

"We can't expect him to perform at the same level for three years straight.

“Instead, we all need to support him a little bit so that he can clear his head here, and then maybe Liverpool could also help him out by scoring some of the chances he creates.

"That would be one idea, because he does not create few chances, it's just that... they somehow don't like to shoot the ball in, that's also part of the truth."

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