---
title: "Leeds: Phil Hay believes Whites should have signed Cody Gakpo"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/leeds-phil-hay-believes-whites-should-have-signed-cody-gakpo-jesse-marsch-victor-orta/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Leeds United News"
published: "2022-09-05T18:20:33Z"
modified: "2022-09-05T18:20:33Z"
---

# Leeds: Phil Hay believes Whites should have signed Cody Gakpo

**[Leeds United](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/leeds-united-news/) journalist Phil Hay has been [left to rue](https://theathletic.com/3558221/2022/09/02/leeds-fans-discuss-the-brentford-game-with-our-writer-phil-hay/) the club’s failure to land Cody Gakpo during the summer transfer window.**

### The lowdown

Jesse Marsch’s team made a flying start to the new season, picking up seven points from the first nine on offer and emphatically beating Chelsea 3-0 at Elland Road, but they’ve stuttered since then.

After a 1-0 defeat against Brighton, they were held at home by an Everton side in the lower reaches of the table, and on Saturday they were thumped 5-2 away to Brentford.

Leeds tried to end their transfer window with the signing of Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven and were optimistic it could be done.

Director of football Victor Orta [flew out](https://theathletic.com/3558326/2022/09/02/leeds-united-southampton-cody-gakpo-transfer/) to the Netherlands to thrash out a deal, with Leeds ‘confident’ that the player was interested. The talks ultimately collapsed, though, and 18-year-old Wilfried Gnonto arrived from FC Zurich instead.

### The latest

Hay says that he was broadly pleased with the Whites’ transfer window but isn’t sure how much Gnonto can offer in the short-term future. By contrast, they would likely have been able to bank on a swift impact from Gakpo.

The journalist wrote on [The Athletic’s matchday discussion forum](https://theathletic.com/3558221/2022/09/02/leeds-fans-discuss-the-brentford-game-with-our-writer-phil-hay/): *“I liked a lot of the window.* *The question in my head is whether Gnonto is ready to make the immediate impact they might need him to.*

*“They could have counted on that from Gakpo.”*

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### The verdict

Hay isn’t the only one who isn’t expecting all that much from Gnonto this season. Marsch has [previously explained](https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/leeds-united/transfer-talk/news/leeds-boss-jesse-marsch-reveals-interest-in-wilfried-gnonto_492615.html) that he views the 18-year-old as a long-term prospect, rather than a player who can take the [Premier League](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league-news/) by storm straight away.

Given that Gakpo is [the top scorer and leading assists provider](https://fbref.com/en/comps/23/Eredivisie-Stats) in the Eredivisie right now, he would be better placed to hit the ground running at Elland Road.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has referred to him as a ‘[superb](https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/status/1536816634219864071)‘ player and the ‘[king of Eindhoven](https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/status/1555998186484932613)‘ and raved about his ‘[phenomenal](https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/status/1449484064352837635)‘ progress.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”389016″\]

Leeds ‘would like to go back for him’, but there are no guarantees. [Hay fears](https://theathletic.com/3558221/2022/09/02/leeds-fans-discuss-the-brentford-game-with-our-writer-phil-hay/#:~:text=they%20like%20him,Champions%20League%20move) that an impressive World Cup with the Netherlands, ‘alongside a strong domestic season’, could put him beyond their reach.

The 23-year-old’s price tag could duly increase to a level beyond the Whites’ budget, and the Dutchman may perhaps be intent on playing in the Champions League.