Calmest man in the arena. Trent Alexander-Arnold stepped up when England needed him most, expertly dispatching his decisive penalty, his team's fifth, in the quarter-finals shootout against Switzerland to advance to the semi-finals of Euro 2024, where the Netherlands now await.
The Liverpool vice-captain has been on the periphery this summer after being shoehorned into the centre of the park in the Three Lions' opener and failing to hold a motley crew together against Serbia.
It was always going to be an uphill battle, but Liverpool fans will be safe in their knowledge that their homegrown talent is one of the very best in the business.
Courted by Real Madrid and entering the final year of his contract, there's an uneasy focus on the 25-year-old's future, with his technical quality and presence in the Anfield side simply irreplaceable.
However, for all his strengths, he's not the most valuable member of Arne Slot's first team, with one of Jurgen Klopp's later signings actually overtaking him in that regard.
Why Liverpool signed Cody Gakpo
The man in question is none other than Cody Gakpo, who is starting to show signs of growing into the player that Liverpool envisaged when they paid PSV Eindhoven the big bucks to bring him to the Premier League in January 2023.
Liverpool paid £35m for Netherlands international Gakpo's services, with the dynamic forward having lit up the Dutch Eredivisie and turned global heads onto his journey after an impressive campaign in Qatar, at the 2022 World Cup.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 18% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for progressive passes, the top 11% for successful take-ons and the top 8% for tackles per 90.
Liverpool might not feel that they have quite got bang for their buck just yet but Gakpo is a unique attacking outlet and he could positively explode under Slot's leadership in just over one month.
Cody Gakpo's market value in 2024
Hailed for his "special skill set" by Klopp's former assistant manager Pep Lijnders, Gakpo has not seen his market price skyrocket since alighting in Liverpool, but he's made steady progress that has been reflected through his impressive overall tally of 23 goals and nine assists across only 46 starting appearances.
The 25-year-old, who is thriving at the Euros and has notched three goals and an assist over five matches for Oranje – set to meet England at the penultimate hurdle on Wednesday – has so much more to give, but this is a wonderful illustration of just how talented a player the Reds have at their disposal.
Make no mistake, some of the listed market prices below are a tad modest, but there's no question that numbers have been crunched to accurately establish the most important and marketable members of the Anfield crop. Alexander-Arnold, despite his glittering quality, doesn't even make the grade, with the site recording his current market value at £33m, likely due to his contract situation.
1.
Dominik Szoboszlai
£46m
2.
Alexis Mac Allister
£45m
3.
Darwin Nunez
£43m
4.
Cody Gakpo
£40m
5.
Luis Diaz
£36m
Gakpo's place in the rankings bears testament to his high-class ability. While he hasn't always been performing at the apex of his game at Liverpool under Klopp, the Dutchman is a sharp goalscorer with a dynamic and far-reaching skill set.
Supporters might be yearning for new signings on Merseyside, but if Alexander-Arnold is kept on the books and Gakpo is provided the license to thrive under his countryman's tutelage, Liverpool might just find they have the tools to sculpt the illustrious success they so dearly crave.
Liverpool hit gold on Klopp superstar who's worth more than Anthony Gordon
This talented player could explode under Arne Slot’s management.
ByAngus Sinclair Jul 5, 2024