Cody Gakpo admitted that members of Liverpool’s dressing room were completely shocked by Arne Slot’s sacking following his second season in charge of the Reds
Cody Gakpo has reacted to Arne Slot’s exit(Image: ESPN)
Cody Gakpo conceded that he and his Liverpool teammates were completely caught off guard by Arne Slot’s sacking.
Last weekend, Slot was shown the door following an underwhelming second season in charge, during which his squad finished trophyless and secured a Champions League spot by just three points. It didn’t take long for the Reds to hone in on the Dutchman’s replacement, with Andoni Iraola quickly slotting in as Liverpool’s next head coach upon coming to a formal agreement with the club on Thursday.
For many members of Liverpool’s dressing room, Slot’s unceremonious exit was a tough pill to swallow. “A shame that the manager has been sacked. Especially so soon after the season where we had fought to qualify for the Champions League,” Gakpo said while speaking to reporters on Friday, via ESPN.
“But yes, that… I believe the club released a statement about that with the explanation in it.”
Though Gakpo admitted that Slot’s ousting came as a surprise, the 27-year-old acknowledged that he couldn’t afford to dwell on his departure with the 2026 World Cup right around the corner.
“I don’t think anyone, any of the players saw it coming,” Gakpo said. “It certainly happened, but apart from that, I think many of our players at the club are also working towards the World Cup now. We have to put it to the side.
When asked if he’d spoken to Slot in recent days, Gakpo replied: “I had of course sent him a message to thank him for the past two years and of course with the highlight of last season.”
Cody Gakpo reached out to Arne Slot following his sacking(Image: Getty Images)
Much like Gakpo, Virgil van Dijk revealed that he had no prior knowledge of Slot’s firing before learning about it at the same time as Reds fans. “That came as a surprise,” he told Dutch News.
“I spoke to Arne and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff, and I’m grateful for everything they’ve done for me. I know Liverpool will come out of this well.
“I landed in Amsterdam on Saturday, and the news had already been leaked. I then had discussions with the club, but the decision had already been made by then. It’s not as though they asked me for my opinion.”
With Slot no longer calling the shots in Anfield, reports have begun to spread like wildfire that Gakpo could be looking for a way out of Liverpool. According to Soccernews, the Dutch winger submitted a transfer request “because he does not see a future at The Reds without Slot.”
Back in January 2023, Gakpo officially transferred to Liverpool after the Reds finalized a $46.1 million (€40m) deal with PSV Eindhoven that eventually reached $60 million (€50m). Over 180 appearances since, he has amassed 50 goals and 23 assists for Liverpool.
Gakpo will likely have no shortage of suitors should he want to leave Liverpool, with Fabrizio Romano reporting: “We have to see what’s going to happen around Cody Gakpo in case Liverpool receive an important proposal.
“There is interest in him. It’s going to be on Liverpool to decide whether he’s going to stay or let him leave.”