£35m Liverpool player shows his true worth v Leicester just six months after being labelled 'very overrated'

Liverpool strolled past Leicester City to increase their lead at the top of the Premier League as Cody Gakpo burst into life and silenced those who doubted his credentials as a Reds player.

Gakpo was signed by Jurgen Klopp for around £35m but was an inconsistent starter as he struggled to nail down a position under the German.

However, since Arne Slot’s arrival, Gakpo has excelled when given his chance and coming off the left-hand side, the Dutchman has looked at home.

• READ MORE: Arne Slot says he’s changed one Jurgen Klopp tactic and that has helped Cody Gakpo explode at Liverpool

Indeed, against Leicester, Gakpo scored and set one up for Mohamed Salah in what was a fine overall display.

And in doing so, Gakpo went a long way to silencing the doubters, especially after being branded as ‘overrated’ just six months back.

Why Cody Gakpo was called overrated

Looking back to the summer when Liverpool were just moving on from Jurgen Klopp, there were some doubts over whether Gakpo would succeed under Arne Slot.

Indeed, former England player Jay Bothroyd had serious questions over Gakpo, even going as far as to label the Dutchman as overrated.

“I don’t like Gakpo at all, I think Gakpo’s very overrated, I don’t think he’s done anywhere near enough for Liverpool. I think he’s one of those players that you don’t actually know what position he is, to the point where Klopp, left-wing, right-wing, in the hole, number nine, and he doesn’t really perform anywhere really well on a consistent basis,” he said.

“Being versatile, what does that mean? If you’re average but you’re versatile in these positions, why is that any good? I’d prefer you to be a master of one than a jack of all trades.”

Gakpo is more reliable than Darwin Nunez for Liverpool

Liverpool have some of the best attacking players in Europe and in terms of depth for a front three, not many can match them.

In Cody Gakpo, they now have a player who is looking like fulfilling his potential and then some.

This season, the Dutchman has already hit double figures in goals, meaning he needs just another six across all competitions to match last season’s total. In fairness to Gakpo, 16 last season was not a bad contribution, especially given he delivered across multiple competitions.

Compare this to the divisive Darwin Nunez, who has just four goals all season under Slot, and it’s clear that Gakpo is a better fit for the new manager.

Right now, and as proven against Leicester, Gakpo is showing just why Liverpool brought him in. And in terms of that ‘overrated’ tag, he’s banished that into the abyss.