Speaking to Voetbalzone journalist Jelle Kusters Cody Gakpo has now shared how he came to the decision to turn down a move to Leeds United

Leeds United came close to signing Cody Gakpo from PSV in the summer of 2022, but the forward chose to stay and ended up signing for Liverpool in January.

Leeds’ Premier League tenure is laced with a number of ‘what ifs’ when considering potential transfers, with some incredible players linked with the club.

Cody Gakpo was one of them, as he shone at PSV and drew interest from Leeds in August 2022 before opting to stay in the Netherlands before the World Cup.

A private jet was chartered near the end of the summer transfer window as Leeds closed in on the signing of Gakpo from PSV:

Leeds are now leading the race to sign Cody Gakpo! PSV have still not accepted any bid from Southampton or Leeds but #LUFC now pushing to get it done. 🚨⚪️ #transfers

Fight still open, but Leeds are trying to tempt Gakpo despite Southampton proposal. pic.twitter.com/E7SQ1IEPJl

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 31, 2022

Gakpo ultimately chose to stay at his boyhood club ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, where his form for the Netherlands propelled them to the quarterfinals and earned him a £35 million move to Liverpool in January 2023.

Gakpo has now revealed to Voetbalzone journalist Jelle Kusters how he decided to reject a move to Leeds.

He explains that his decision was influenced by his strong faith, saying:

“I had difficult, but also very good years. In the end, I kept going and I always kept faith. I’m grateful for where I am now.

“In the end it was a very stressful transfer period with clubs coming and going. As a religious person, I have also sought my answers from God. It was very clear to me that it was better to stay and that’s a good thing!”