Former Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has urged PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo to join a club like Tottenham rather than Real Madrid.
Gapko, who came through the ranks at PSV, has had a breakthrough season for the Eredivisie giants, having scored 21 goals and provided 15 assists in all competitions so far this campaign (Transfermarkt).
The versatile forward, who can play through the middle or on either flank, has been a regular in the Netherlands squads over the last 12 months.
The Daily Mirror (22/03/22 print edition) claimed that the 23-year-old is on Tottenham’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window.
The report claimed that Spurs could face competition from Liverpool and Arsenal for Gapko, who is said to be valued at around £35m by PSV.
Van der Vaart has urged the youngster to be careful about the next step in his career and to snub his former club in favour of another he turned out for, or even their north London rivals.
The former Spurs fan favourite told Voetbal International: “If he (Gapko) goes, he has to go to Tottenham or Arsenal. A club a bit in between. If Real Madrid come, I would say: ‘Don’t do it.'”
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Former Stoke winger Ibrahim Afellay, echoed Van der Vaart’s comments, insisting that sky is the limit for Gapko.
He said: “He’s been doing that all season. There’s no ceiling on this kid. He’s very consistent and doesn’t seem to be phased by anything.
“He has once again put himself in the spotlight of big clubs. If there’s a dream club, then you go, right? He’s in a luxury position.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I am usually very wary of getting carried away by young players who explode onto the scene in the Eredivisie as there is no guarantee that they would be able to translate that form into the Premier League.
That is particularly true of players like Gapko, who rely on their pace and athleticism as they will not have as big of a physical advantage over defenders in the Premier League. So, at the very least, one would expect such players to take time to get used to the intensity of English football rather than making an instant impact.
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