Cesc Fabregas has named the Liverpool player who he believes has great ability, but appears to need to be told what to do constantly as he is not the most creative.
Arne Slot definitely has an amazing group of players to work with as he prepares to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, with the Reds putting themselves back into the Premier League title race last season.
It will be interesting to see which players thrive under Slot, but there are potentially a couple of players who definitely need to kick on if they are going to really prove themselves.
Cody Gakpo has shown glimpses of his potential during his time at Liverpool without ever standing out amongst an amazing group of attacking players.
Cesc Fabregas issues verdict on Cody Gakpo
Gakpo did end last season with some outstanding performances, and he was bright in Netherlands’ opening game at Euro 2024 as they beat Poland.
That promise perhaps explains why Cesc Fabregas has something of a mixed view of the 25-year-old, with the pundit telling BBC One (broadcast on 21/6; 19:45) that there is real potential there.
“I think he is a functional player what I have seen of him at Liverpool. It seems to me that he is a type of player who needs to be told constantly what to do, but he has got great ability,” he said.
“He is not the most creative player, but he is dangerous, he has got an eye for goal, he has good movement, he attacks well the space.”
Huge question mark over what incoming Liverpool boss will do with forward next season
It is going to be very interesting to see how Slot uses Gakpo in his side, given that the £35 million man is potentially the most versatile of the Liverpool forwards; even playing in midfield at times last season.
Gakpo generally plays out on the left for Netherlands, while he ended the season for Liverpool playing more centrally.
Perhaps it is too simplistic to say that handing Gakpo one particular role would make life easier for the forward, but you would imagine that it may indeed help him build on the talent he clearly has.